


Birds and Bees

by defying3reason



Series: Birds and Bees 'Verse [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Green Arrow (Comics), Justice League of America (Comics), New Teen Titans, Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics), The Flash (Comics), Titans (Comics)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-08
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2017-11-24 04:44:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 246,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/630570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defying3reason/pseuds/defying3reason
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick Grayson slowly gets the hang of mentoring the reluctant new Robin, Damian Wayne, while also trying to balance a demanding on-again off-again relationship with Roy Harper. As Damian ages and becomes more independent, he develops his own dramatic social life and complicated relationships.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"What are you doing here?" Dick's hand was on the door, ready to slam it in Roy's face. He hesitated though; Roy did deserve a baseline level of respect until his behavior necessitated a different response, anyway.

"Uh…how about checking up on you?" He looked a little confused at the question. "You've been on silent to the rest of the community, but I know you've been going through shit, like bad, so yeah. Let me in." Roy made to push past Dick, who more firmly held the door in place, allowing only an inch or so of open space.

"I'm fine. Damian and Alfred are here. I'll call you when I have time if you're that worried."

"When you have time. Dude, I did drive through town to get here. I saw what Gotham's like and I'm not gonna wait the six or so months it'll take for you to have a minute." Roy pushed harder on the door, startling Dick, who recovered quickly and slammed it in his face. So Roy pulled out his cell phone and dialed Dick's.

"I changed the number," Dick said, peering through the door's peep hole.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Because I don't want to talk."

"Wait…are you done?" Roy asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach. They'd gotten a month, one fucking month before everything went crazy in Gotham, and now Roy was gonna lose out on dating the only guy he'd ever felt anything for for the second god damn time, and this time it hadn't lasted long enough for him to screw it up.

Dick opened the door again and peered at him through a one-inch crack. His expression was unreadable, but plenty brooding. "I don't know, okay. Probably. It'd be better that way."

"Bullshit! We hardly even started! Look, Dick, we need to talk and I don't want to have this conversation here, through a door," Roy hissed.

Dick frowned, considering. "Damian's inside. He's supposed to be in bed, but, well, he doesn't listen to me. And that could get him, me, or both of us killed," Dick said carefully, watching Roy's reaction as he'd tried to put in a comment about what he thought of Damian. "If I let you in you have to promise not to make a scene and not to give the kid any more reasons to think less of me."

"Why the hell do you care what a snotty ten year old thinks of you?" Roy demanded.

"Because he's Bruce's son and I won't have him getting hurt on my watch. You didn't really think it was about ego, did you?" Dick asked with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "God Roy, I was raised by the circus and Batman. My self-esteem is pretty solid after that roller coaster."

"I thought so, but you never know."

Dick looked tired, more tired than Roy had seen him since they were kids and he was pulling triple duty with Bats, the Titans and school. He couldn't help but worry. Dick finally stepped inside to let him in.

Roy shrugged off his coat and tossed it on the couch. Dick picked it up and herded them to a nice, spacious bedroom where he promptly shut and locked the door. Roy stared at him, bemused. "You really don't want them to know I'm here, do you?"

"I'd rather not give Alfred a reason to start asking questions about my sex life again, and I don't think you and Damian would get along."

"I'm good with kids."

"Which is why you won't be with Damian," Dick explained.

Roy shrugged. He hadn't met the terror yet, but he'd heard stories. He sat down on the bed, adopting an innocent pose and looked up at Dick questioningly. It was taking all his self-discipline not to jump him; they'd gone back to fuck buddies when they'd both been without monogamous relationships and only recently discussed the idea of starting a real relationship a few months ago, having gone for it a month or so before. Then Bruce had died under sketchy circumstances and everything had gone to hell. He hadn't been laid in awhile, what with the monogamy agreement, and Dick was looking damn fine while barefoot in low riding pajama pants and a sleeveless black tee.

Dick eyed him. "Don't even think about it."

"Hey, I wasn't thinking about sex," Roy lied. Dick didn't appear to believe him. "Well, only a little. But come on, I haven't seen you in two and a half weeks and you look…like sex."

"I should have left you in the hallway." Dick started pacing.

"You wanna sit down? You're making me nervous."

"I'm fine, okay? I didn't need you checking up on me. I can handle this. Alfred's been really helpful and mostly things have gelled together a lot better than I thought. I can do this…"

"Dick, you never wanted to be Batman. So no, I won't believe that you're fine. You're grieving and wearing the fucking suit while you're still missing him. That's gotta hurt," Roy pointed out.

Dick sat down next to him and put his head in his hands. Roy leaned over and slung an arm around his shoulders, offering friendly comfort. "I do miss him, and I know I'm not good enough, but neither was anyone else so…so…God, I don't want to be this, I'm just Nightwing."

"I know you can handle this and that you're gonna kick ass, I just thought it'd help to know that I get how hard this is for you." Roy gave him a little squeeze, and felt Dick shift to lean more fully into him. The guy always was a sucker for human contact.

"Thanks. Yeah, it does help."

"So I take it Damian's been a real pill so far?" Roy guessed. He was slowly maneuvering them towards the pillows, and maneuvering Dick more fully into his arms.

"Oh God yes, he has such a stick up his…and he's only ten. I mean he's brilliant, maybe even more so than any Robin past, but he's so overconfident and contemptuous that his brilliance goes to waste with his refusal to listen and to be guided from me and Alfred's experience. You know? When you think you're smarter than the rest of the world, you assume no one can teach you anything. It's like everything I tell him, I have to give him a ten minute logical explanation of why I should be listened to, because he doesn't respect me enough to just take my word for it and I…I don't know how long I can do this for."

"You know if he's not respecting you then you should just give me ten minutes alone with him. I bet I've got a few trick arrows that can guide him plenty," Roy offered.

Dick rolled his eyes. "He can take you."

"What? You think a ten year old can take me?"

"Oh yes. I think he could take me too if he ever had a reason to," Dick added. He'd gotten nice and comfy snuggled up to Roy and was clearly enjoying the indignant reaction he'd provoked. Roy started rubbing his back, indignance giving way to fondness almost instantaneously.

"Damn you're tense," Roy murmured. "I can feel the knots through your shirt."

"It's a thin shirt," Dick rationalized.

Roy rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You want me to knead 'em out?"

"If you're offering…"

"Oh yeah, just one of the many benefits of dating Roy Harper. A neurotic bastard like you should totally take advantage of the massages. I mean, assuming we are still…?" His voice got small at the end and lost the light bravado.

Dick sat up and looked at him, and Roy waited with bated breath, wishing he could read Dick's facial expressions better.

"Roy, I honestly don't think I can give you what you deserve right now. I am going to be a terrible, terrible boyfriend, even taking into account my past experiences and that's saying something. I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea right now."

"Well I know you pretty well," Roy said carefully. "And I know that you cannot get through crises in your life without lots and lots of sympathetic cuddling and sex. And if you don't get it from me then you're likely to either start mucking around with an ex-girlfriend and stir up a whole lot of resentment and guilt that shouldn't be looked at again, or you're going to go someplace scarier that could end in disease or scars. So I think it's better for you to stay with me and let me worry about how much emotional support I get. I can take it, so don't worry about what's fair to me."

"But you don't-"

"Dick. I can put up with your bullshit. We've been doing this dance since we were seventeen fucking years old. I think it's about time we stopped bullshitting each other and just…be together." He trailed his fingertips lightly over Dick's arm. "C'mon…I'm a redhead. You like redheads."

"That's not even a little funny." Dick snorted. Roy leaned in and kissed him, and was happily not pushed away. He slowly moved back and looked Dick in the eye.

"I don't need to see you every day, just whenever you need me to be here, okay? And assuming I'm not busy with the League and Lian's okay, I will get here. And I won't expect more than you can give."

"That sounds too good to be true," Dick pointed out. He smiled lightly as a thought occurred to him. "And maybe it's just been awhile since we tried dating, but I think I remember you being needier than that."

"Yeah, well I was a teenager. Besides, you're the one who hopped a bus and showed up at my place crying after fighting with your mentor."

"Once!" Dick exclaimed. "You snuck back to Gotham with me like every chance you got to avoid Green Arrow!"

Roy pushed him flat on the bed and draped himself over Dick. "Uh huh. That was mostly a ruse so I could spend the night and have more time to bang you. For a smart guy, you were pretty slow to catch on to that."

"Mm hmm. So the crying and emotional baggage and whatnot, that was all part of an elaborate ploy? Excuse me if I find it hard to believe your teenage self was that diabolical."

Roy smirked. "You would have figured it out if you weren't so distracted by my sexy." Dick outright laughed at that. Pleased at having gotten the damaged new Batman to loosen up a little, Roy leaned in for a slow kiss, wondering if he might be able to get laid tonight after all.

Dick was the one to deepen the kiss, hands wandering underneath Roy's t-shirt, occasionally lowering to the waistline of his jeans. Roy dipped to plant kisses on his jaw line, freeing his mouth to speak. "Roy…if we…do anything, we…need to be quiet…I really don't want to…mm, explain this to Damian."

"Kid'll notice you're made of sex in a couple years anyway," Roy murmured, and enjoyed watching goosebumps rise where he'd breathed against Dick's throat.

"I mean it. If he comes in here to investigate, you are out on your ass and you're not coming back."

"You locked the door. Loosen up Batman." Roy cut Dick's protest off with another probing kiss, his hands meanwhile roaming over Dick's body and provoking moans and shivers. Yeah, no way in hell he was giving this up. If Dick threw him out then he'd sneak back in through the window. Now that he'd been inside the penthouse and had an idea of where things were, it wouldn't be so hard…

It didn't take too long for the quiet rule to go right out the window, not when both men were particularly experienced at sex in general and also experienced with each other's bodies and reactions in particular. As much fun as he was having, Roy thought he was going to have a heart attack when he heard knocking on the bedroom door, right after he'd gone down on Dick and elicited quite an enthusiastic moan.

"Grayson, are you okay in there?!" No mistaking that clipped, aristocratic little kid voice. Even though Roy had yet to meet the kid, it could only have been Damian on the other side of the door. Roy might have been occupied, but all he could think was, 'the brat calls you Grayson?'

"D-Damian? I'm f-oooooh…fine!" Dick's voice broke as he spoke. He smacked Roy's head and hissed, "Stoppit!" So Roy deep throated him and watched him throw his head back and bite his lip hard enough to draw blood in an effort not to scream. Dick wasn't always a screamer but Roy liked to draw that side out of him, and took some pride in it too. From what he'd heard Kory was one of the only other lovers who got those reactions.

Hmm, red heads.

"Are you being attacked? You don't sound well."

"Damian go to bed!" Dick's voice was breathless and not terribly convincing.

"Grayson, if you need help I can handle whoever's threatening you."

"Go to bed!"

Dick kept smacking Roy, who continued to give an enthusiastic blow job, way more amused than he should have been by the situation.

Then the brat high kicked the handle off the door, banging it open in the process. Roy couldn't see behind them, but he could imagine the effect. He heard the door swing shut again.

*******

Five minutes later Roy was thrown bodily from the penthouse and Dick sat down at the kitchen table with Damian across from him, prepared for a damned uncomfortable conversation.

"Glad to see you've got your pants on," Damian greeted.

Dick narrowed his eyes at the brat. His hair was all mussed and he had a few marks around his collar bone. He wasn't feeling very composed at the moment, but he knew he had to say something. "Damian…did I honestly sound like I was being attacked?"

"You were groaning a lot and your voice was very weak," Damian pointed out. "What was that man doing to you anyway? It sounded like it hurt."

Dick blinked. That hadn't been what he'd expected.

"Did you know him? I've never seen him before," Damian continued.

"Uh…that was Roy. He's, um, he's in the Justice League."

"Red Arrow formerly Arsenal formerly Speedy?" Damian asked. Surprised again, Dick could only nod. "Hm. He looks more intimidating in his file picture. So if he's friendly with you then why did he sneak here in the middle of the night and accost you in your room?"

"Uh…you really don't know already?" Dick asked. Damian eyed him curiously. "Damn, I was hoping Talia had covered this already…we were, um, having sex. Well we were going to, I kind of threw him out before we…we…yeah."

"Sex? But that's how children are made. Children can't be made from two men." Damian's expression darkened. "If you don't want to tell me then don't. I don't care that much anyway, I just don't understand why a member of the Justice League would show up at night to attack you."

"Damian, how much do you know about sex?" Dick asked. His expression turned indignant.

"Everything. Mother explained it already. I'm not a child, you know."

"You're not an adult either. What'd she tell you, exactly?" Dick asked.

Damian frowned and looked at his folded hands. "Something about tadpoles and eggs. It didn't make a lot of sense, actually. If the tadpoles are in the male and the eggs are in the female, then how do they combine to make a baby?"

Dick suppressed a groan. He'd honestly hoped a super-skank like Talia would have been comfortable enough about the subject of sex to have had a detailed conversation with her son. Nope. Apparently this particular unpleasant duty was going to be the job of super-skank Dick Grayson.

"Look, making babies is one of the results of sex and…sometimes that's the reason people do it," Dick started, already hating the way he sounded. "But another reason they do it is because it feels really good and it's a lot of fun. And if that's the reason people are doing it then it's possible for two men or two women to have sex too."

"Oh. So there are different goals. I see," Damian said with a nod. "Mother said something about sex usually accompanying love. Does this mean that you love Red Arrow?"

Dick frowned. "I'm…not talking about that with you."

"Fine. Like I care anyway. Still, if he's going to be here a lot then I'd like to meet him. Properly I mean. I need to know if I approve of him or not."

"It doesn't matter if you approve of my boyfriend or not, it doesn't have anything to do with you!"

Damian scowled. "Look, you're filling in as my guardian for now. I'll not have you getting involved in romantic entanglements with just anyone. If you're going to represent me while I'm relegated to Robin status then you're going to be as perfect a Batman as is possible, because I don't plan on being embarrassed by you."

Dick stared at him, temporarily at a loss for words. But when he recovered the ability of speech he did manage to nod. "Fine. You can meet Roy."

"Good. I'm going to bed."

Dick filled a glass of water from the tap and took a sip, mouth having gone dry during that awkward as ass conversation. Although it went a lot better than it could have; Damian hadn't asked him to clarify the tadpole and egg situation. Still, he knew it was only a prelude for more awkwardness to come and frankly that didn't make him very happy.

Then again, Damian had also shown enough interest in his life to want to meet his boyfriend. That was a hopeful sign. Maybe the kid would accept his place as Batman after all.

Dick tipped the remnants of his glass into the sink and walked back and forth across the kitchen floor a couple of times, considering. He finally opened up the front door where he found Roy sitting across from him waiting to be let back in.

"How'd you know I was coming back?" Dick asked.

"Because that was one sweet orgasm I gave you. Also you didn't get much cuddling in. Or your massage," Roy explained. Dick rolled his eyes. He stepped aside and let Roy into the penthouse.

"You know, Damian wants to meet you," he said lightly as they made their way back to the bedroom. Roy had grasped one of his hands and twined their fingers as they walked. When Dick paused after shutting the door (as best he could after Damian's emergency entry) Roy cuddled up from behind and kissed his neck.

"Oh yeah? How's tomorrow morning at breakfast. I can make a pretty decent omelet."

"No fucking way."

Roy paused, not sure if he'd heard right. Things seemed to be going better than that.

"Alfred's making stuffed french toast tomorrow. There's no way in hell I'm having a rubbery half burned omelet over that."

"Rubbery and half what?" Roy's indignant response was cut off by a well timed kiss and he was soon distracted from his wounded pride.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian is coerced into a playdate

Chapter Two

"I don't like him."

"I didn't think you would."

Damian's glare intensified at Dick's nonchalant attitude. He expected his hopefully temporary (and completely unnecessary for that matter) guardian to hang onto his every word.

"Grayson, it pains me to say this, but you can do better."

"Uh huh." Dick wasn't even paying full attention! Damian bristled while Dick idly turned a page in the history journal he was reading. "This is interesting. Forensic archaeologists are doing some work on mass plague graves in Europe. You might like this article. Want to browse when I'm done?"

"I insist you break up with Red Arrow!" Damian yelled. "And don't patronize me with another subject change."

"I'm not breaking up with Red Arrow, and I don't have anything else to say about it. It's none of your business. You can keep talking if you'd like-"

"You're supposed to listen to me. It's your job!"

Dick lowered the journal and faced Damian with a bemused smile that didn't meet his eyes. "You're ten. I'm twenty six. This means that, however brilliant and skilled you are, I still have sixteen years worth of practical experience on you. For argument's sake, can you accept that I see something in Roy you've missed?"

Damian folded his arms and looked away. "He treats me like a kid."

"You are a kid. Hey, don't give me that look! There are advantages to it, you know. Especially when you're smart. Have you ever tried using peoples' expectations of you against them?"

Damian considered. "I don't think it's worth the expense of my dignity."

Dick shrugged. "I milked people underestimating me as long as I could. When I was Robin, people thought I was incompetent hostage-bait and wondered why Batman brought his weakness around with him in bright, primary colors."

"You wore a tracer, didn't you?"

"Oh hell yes. On the fins of my pixie boots," Dick said with a smirk. "People figured it would be in the utility belt, if they even thought to look."

"Well…I can appreciate the effectiveness of your ridiculous ruses, but my style is different," Damian said loftily. "I won't lower myself for the sake of petty criminals."

"Eh. Don't knock it too hard till you've tried it." Dick picked up the journal again, and Damian seemed to notice that he'd been sidetracked.

"Hey wait! We were talking about Red Arrow!"

Dick let out a long suffering sigh. "Will you please drop this?"

"No I won't! You represent me to the hero community- I demand you associate with more dignified peers. Or at least people who don't laugh at me and pet my head."

"Roy tried that?" Dick was suddenly surprised his boyfriend still had arm function. Maybe the kid was warming up to him.

Damian appeared to follow his train of thought. "I could easily have stopped Red Arrow from touching me if I chose. Out of respect for you I'm asking you not to date him. Although you should respect yourself enough to handle this on your own."

After several weeks of living with, working with and training Damian, Dick was starting to get the gist of his signals. He'd noticed the boy iced over uncannily quickly, leading others to believe that he always behaved that way. Dick had noticed, however, that if Damian felt awkward in a social situation (which was more often than not thanks to his upbringing) he became boastful and snappy. Dick guessed, based on the rate of insults coupled with disdainful sighs, not to mention the subject matter, that this was Damian's peculiar way of trying to look out for him and thus a small show of affection.

He would have been touched if it wasn't so damned annoying.

"You're just going to have to warm up to Roy. I'm not dumping him, and now that you've been introduced he's going to take that as an okay to stop by more."

Damian scowled. "At least your relationships don't last that long."

"What was that?" Dick asked, unsettled.

"Pennyworth said that under his breath when Red Arrow was fondling you the other night-"

"You are not allowed to refer to a goodbye kiss as fondling-that means something else!"

"Well I never moved my hands that much any of the times I kissed Mother goodbye!"

Dick made a mental note to talk to Alfred. He knew Alfred didn't like Roy. Alfred likely still associated Roy with what he was like during his self-destructive teen years, when Dick had been working in vain to help Roy sort out his relationship with his mentor, and worsened his own relationship with Bruce in the process. Regardless, the last thing he needed right now was for Damian to think he had an ally in this argument.

"Look, lay off or I'll invite Roy to every patrol we have for the next month. He'll come to at least a couple."

"Then I won't."

"Then you're on the bench. Remember the doll people? You're not doing patrols on your own."

Damian had had more than one nightmare about that fiasco, although he hadn't wanted to admit it. Roy had actually been the one to hear Damian's screams. He'd left early so that Dick could come up with a way to comfort a terrified ten year old who wouldn't admit weakness.

That had been a fun week.

"Well if you insist on debasing yourself with Red Arrow's obnoxious company, don't expect me to-" Damian was cut off by the doorbell. He narrowed his eyes. "That's not him, is it?"

"If he got a sitter for Lian then it probably is. By the way, Lian, Irey, and Jai are going to an amusement park this weekend. You've been invited-"

"I have work to do, and for the last time, I don't need a play date. I don't want to see any of your friends' snot-nosed brats."

"Hey, Lian's nose is adorable. Leave her snot out of this," Roy spoke up from the doorway. He was sans coat and shoes, likely Alfred's doing, although the butler was nowhere in sight. Damian glowered at him, provoking a brash smile from the archer, which was not the intended effect. Damian ran from the room and slammed the door to his bedroom with a loud bang.

"He makes me feel so welcome," Roy said with a sigh.

"The passion of his dislike for you is almost flattering. He thinks very strongly of you," Dick observed dryly. Roy sat down next to him and batted the journal away. Dick snorted.

"Well I'm not here to watch you read." Roy leaned in for what he might possibly have intended as an innocent peck hello, but which descended into groping, tongue tangling, and pulling Dick onto his lap for what could accurately be described as fondling. While Dick was trying to catch his breath, he decided to cede Damian a point.

"Roy, cut it out…we're in the living room," Dick finally ground out, and slid back onto his own couch cushion. Roy smirked at him.

"What does that matter? Alfred and Damian are going to be wherever I'm not."

"Well maybe they'd stop that if you didn't make them feel awkward. I know I'm a slutty sex fiend, you know I'm a slutty sex fiend, but Damian doesn't know that and Alfred likes to pretend he doesn't either."

"Seriously? So you never brought Kory over for dinner?"

Dick didn't dignify that with a direct response. "Alfred always liked Babs, you know. He's still trying to push me in that direction."

"Lucky for me she rejected you then," Roy returned without missing a beat. It was a mark of respect for their long years of friendship that he wasn't thrown out for saying something like that.

Dick still wasn't amused.

"If you want to fight, I can come up with some digs on Cheshire."

"Alright, alright. I won't poke the emotional scars. But if you wanna remind me of how much the important people in your life hate me a little less, I'd appreciate it."

"I think Tim likes you well enough," Dick said.

"Okay. I'll channel his support psychically the next time Damian attacks me," Roy said with a nod. "What's the little creeper up to anyway?"

"I don't even know anymore. He won't talk to me," Dick said, frowning.

"Okay, okay, let's talk about something else. Um…d'ya think you'll be able to get Damian to come with the kids this weekend? They really want to meet him."

Dick laughed. "Come on Roy, you saw him just now when I suggested it."

"I know, I know. I just thought you might be able to get him to warm up to the idea."

"What makes you think I can get Damian to warm up to anything?" Dick asked, surly. Roy squeezed his knee.

"Your years of experience working with Batman. Dick, you got Bruce to admit he was wrong before. You can handle the ten year old. In theory he's still impressionable. And remember what you used to tell me about Ollie, just because you can't see the results doesn't mean you're not making a difference?"

"Yeah…I guess." He spared a look for the closed bedroom door. "Do you really think I'm doing okay?"

"Well you haven't killed him, unintentionally or otherwise. You're doing a hell of a lot better than I would be doing already."

"Mm. If the standard is keeping him breathing, then I guess I am doing pretty well. I just…" Dick sighed, and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I wish he was happy. That's all. None of the other kids are living normal lives exactly, but they're all happy."

"Yeah, and me and Wally have had our kids to raise from birth. You've only had a few weeks with Damian to counter years of damage and abuse from his psychotic mother. Just give it time. And if at all possible, use a little deception to trick him into a playdate," Roy suggested.

"I heard that and I'm not going!" Damian yelled from behind his closed and locked door.

"We could drug him."

"We're not drugging him Roy."

*******

Roy didn't stoop to drugging Damian to get him to tag along for the group outing, but the tactic he did end up adopting was still pretty underhanded.

Damian was sitting at his computer desk in his room reading some Arabic print newspapers online and telling himself he wasn't homesick when he heard a knock on his door. He went to answer it and was timidly greeted by a pretty little girl in pigtails with silly bands almost up to her elbows on both arms.

"Who are you?" Damian asked, taken off guard at the presence of a child in his dwelling.

She looked up at him, a bit startled herself. "That's not very nice you know. You're a'posed to at least say hello first."

"Sorry, you're right. Hello miss. My name is Damian Wayne. Will you please tell me yours?"

"It's Lian Harper. I'm here with my daddy and he said I should come over and say hello. Damian, are you okay? You look like you've got a tummy ache."

Something pained had indeed passed over Damian's expression. His eye was twitching a bit. Still though, it wasn't the child's fault. He invited Lian into his room and shut the door, sure that if her father was in the penthouse, he'd been left alone with Dick long enough that Damian didn't want to see them anyway.

"This is a nice room," Lian lied. It was a very barebones set up, consisting of a bed, a desk and a dresser. Still, it was polite of her to say so. Damian decided he liked Lian better than her father.

"Thank you. Er…what's your room like?"

"It's not done yet."

"Pardon?"

Lian giggled. "We just moved back to Star City and my room's not done yet, so I don't know what it'll look like. We're going to paint it before we set everything up."

"Oh. I've never been to Star City."

"I like it there. Um, I don't wanna insult your home or anything, but Gotham's a little dirty. I think Star's prettier. But you've got cool scary buildings. That must be neat for when you're out fighting crime," Lian said with a serious nod. She walked over to Damian's window and stared out at the city. "Someday when I'm big I'm gonna fight crime just like my daddy and my grandpa Ollie. I heard you get to fight crime already, even though you're still young like me. You must be really good at it for the adults not to get scared for you."

"I am. I'm excellent at it." He refrained from telling her he was much better than her father, since that would be rude even if it was true.

"Maybe we can fight crime together someday." She turned to face him with a grin that stretched from ear to ear, and Damian found himself returning it without realizing it.

"Are you going to be an archer as well?" Damian asked. She nodded excitedly. "You do realize that that's a terribly impractical weapon, right?"

Lian looked a bit thrown. "Impragdigal? No, it's not that. It's what my daddy uses."

Damian frowned. "Well…maybe you could learn archery from your father, and then I could supplement that inefficient skill by training you in the fighting styles I have mastery over."

"Uh…kay. I guess that'd be good. If you're going to help me I should do something to help you though. That's fair."

Damian laughed. "I don't think there's anything I'll need the assistance of a littler girl for."

"Well you need to learn how to make friends."

"Excuse me?"

Lian waved one silly band clad arm at his bare walls. "You don't have any friends. If you did you'd have pictures up. You don't even have pictures of your mommy or daddy on the walls, and the way you've been talking it's like you never talked to a kid before, or even had a kindergarten teacher tell you to share and play nice. Plus you're not coming with me and the twins to the amusement park and that's just weird."

"Is it?"

"Yeah. It's really weird. We're not scary you know."

"I know you're not scary." Damian rolled his eyes. "I've faced psychotic criminals. I've nothing to fear from a daytrip with a bunch of children."

"Then you should come with us," Lian said simply. Damian didn't have anything to say to that. She threw him another beaming smile, which he awkwardly returned, then walked over to the door. "I'm going to go check on my daddy. I think we're s'posed to be leaving soon. I hope you change your mind and come with us, Damian. It'd make me sad to think of you sitting here by yourself while we're out having fun together."

She left a highly conflicted boy standing in her wake when she left the room.

*******

Later that afternoon, when Damian was crammed between the West twins in the backseat of a minivan Roy had rented for their trip with a cooler of snacks crushing his feet, he reassessed what he'd so far learned about his guardian's boyfriend. Yes, the man's tactics were underhanded. However, they were highly effective.

*******

Dick was sitting in the living room trying to read, but he couldn't get his mind to focus for more than a paragraph or so of his book. He'd been trying like hell to enjoy an afternoon of Damian-free solitude, but it wasn't working. For one thing, he was suffering a nagging feeling that he should be doing something productive at all times, even though he'd already decided he needed at least an hour to himself or he was going to have a nervous breakdown (See? The downtime was scheduled relaxation and it would be unproductive not to have it).

But really he was anxious for Roy's safety. The man had taken four children-of-costumes for a daytrip, which meant that by all rights the group was going to be taken hostage by a supervillain of some kind. There was also a high likelihood that Damian was going to kill Roy.

At the least, someone was going to come out of that minivan with new emotional scars.

Dick finally gave up on the book and simply sat on the couch with his cell and his JL reserve communicator on his lap. Damian got home around seven, just when Dick was thinking he might have to prepare to go on patrol without his Robin. The door slammed open, Damian stalked off to his bedroom and slammed the door, and Roy hovered in the doorway waiting to be acknowledged.

"Where are the other kids?" Dick asked.

"Wally already picked them up. Lian's sleeping over his place for Irey's first slumber party."

"Oh. So…how'd it go?"

Roy snorted. "It was actually kinda anti-climactic, so you can lose that look-of-dread thing you've got going. They went on a bunch of rides, Damian won each of the kids a stuffed animal that was bigger than they were at one of the rigged games with the crooked gun sights, we ate a bunch of junk food and the kids scared the crap out of him with normal social interactions. I think he's a little off center so you might need to talk to him."

"Yeah, I'd better get in there-"

"Not so fast." Roy grabbed Dick by the arms and pulled him back. "I just told you my little girl's sleeping out tonight."

Dick quirked an eyebrow. "I've still got my kid."

"Send him out on patrol. It's about time, isn't it?"

"We patrol together."

"You used to do patrols alone when you were Robin."

"Not when I was ten," Dick countered. Roy pouted. Dick sighed. "We'll do a quick patrol, and if it's quiet, we'll come back. That's alright, right? You'll stay?"

Roy grinned. "I was starting to think you didn't actually want to see me."

Dick leaned in for a kiss. "That's never the case, so we're clear."

"Go get your damaged little Robin. I'll wait up, I promise."

Dick kissed him again, and was still wearing a goofy smile when he got to Damian's bedroom. He quickly schooled his features into an expression less likely to provoke his sidekick's wrath before walking in.

"Ready for patro-Damian? Are you wearing a silly band?"

Damian turned bright red, and ripped the thing off his wrist so fast Dick was surprised he didn't break it. "I've been told it's a custom. If my information was faulty then it's because of my informants, not me!"

"No, no. It, uh…it looks good. C'mon, let's suit up."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian starts to open up to Dick

Chapter Three

Over the next couple of weeks Dick noticed a subtle change in Damian. As a sidekick he was still more arrogant, disrespectful and reckless than Dick would have liked…but he was starting to value Dick's opinion. They were learning how to work together and as the burden of working with Damian lessened, patrols were almost fun again.

It was almost like working with Tim, though still obviously quite different. Dick promised himself that he'd never let his relationship with Damian get as muddled up as it had with Tim, though he doubted it was a promise he could keep. He also decided to make more of an effort to figure out what Tim was up to out on his own city hopping (other than feeding his delusion that Bruce wasn't really dead).

But the change in Damian's demeanor as Robin wasn't the only difference. Dick went into Damian's bedroom to get him for patrol one evening and did a double take. Hanging above Damian's desk were three framed crayon illustrations. The one on the left was of a wobbly looking Batman with adorably chubby gargoyles surrounding it labeled Dameyon. The middle one showed three dark haired figures (one with pigtails, two with short spiky hair) and one red haired one out on a sunny day, also messily labeled Me, Dameyon, Iree, Jaye. The last he guessed to be a picture of Robin Hood. Damian had taped his silly band (which he hadn't been caught wearing since the first night) to the middle frame.

Dick didn't say anything. He knew better than that by this point. He was really relieved to see tangible evidence of Damian's ability to bond with other human beings though. Maybe there was hope for this kid yet.

*******

"Ooo…you finally fixed the bedroom door," Roy pointed out, with a seductive arch of an eyebrow. Dick snorted.

"Was that a pick-up line?"

"Unconventional, but I think it's appropriate for us." Roy walked into the room and hopped onto the bed, looking towards Dick expectantly. He waggled his eyebrows.

Laughing, Dick shut the door and clicked the new lock into place. He joined Roy on the bed, shucking suddenly superfluous articles of clothing as he went. Roy cupped his face and pulled him in for a smoldering kiss. Dick wound his arms around Roy's waist, deepening the kiss as he fell back against the mattress, and then mentally cursed when he heard the lock click open.

The couple snapped their heads up and looked to the doorway, but otherwise didn't alter their embrace. Damian was standing by the door, which was only opened a crack, with a hand clapped securely over his eyes.

"I saw Harper's coat and shoes in the hall."

"Yeah, I'm here," Roy answered, a hint of 'get to the fucking point' in his tone.

"Did you…ahem, is miss Lian accompanying you tonight?"

"It's four in the morning," Roy pointed out. He tended to make his excursions to see his boyfriend once Dick was finished with patrol.

"Yes, and?"

"She's in bed. I got a babysitter."

"Oh. Well, er, carry on then." Damian closed the door, and locked it again with his lock pick.

Dick leaned up for another kiss, but Roy dodged, burying his face in Dick's shoulder to muffle his giggles. "That really happened, didn't it?"

"Yep. Damian's grown very attached to Lian, which is wonderful and surprising and a really big help for my goal to socialize him, now I can't help but notice you've got your hand on my crotch. You wanna do something there or are we having a heart to heart about the kids?"

"Huh? Oh, hell no. We can do a parenting chat later."

"I thought so. Pants off."

"Yes sir."

*******

The next morning, when Damian emerged from his bedroom to get the newspapers and his breakfast it was to find Roy in front of the stove (not Alfred) cooking omelets in the kitchen. Damian ignored his greeting, poured a glass of orange juice, and sat at the table with the thickest of the papers.

Shrugging it off, Roy plated one of the omelets. "So I take it you wouldn't mind if I brought Lian around every now and then?"

Damian impatiently opened the paper, rustling it loudly. "Not if it increases the likelihood of you interrupting my morning routine."

"Ah, wouldn't want to do that." Roy set the plate in front of Damian. "C'mon kid, take the stick out. I thought you liked Lian. If you do, I'll bring her with me sometimes. The only problem is that you and Dick keep weird hours and she's only five. I can't throw off her routine too much."

"I'm ten. What makes you think I want to spend time with someone half my age?"

"The fact that you asked for her last night. And you've been writing each other letters. And-"

"Alright, fine! Just stop talking!" The paper was crinkling around Damian's fierce grip on it. "I like Lian, she's charming! You win! Though how you managed to spawn such progeny is beyond my comprehension!" He flung the paper on the table and stalked off to his bedroom.

"What just happened?" Roy asked.

"He thinks Lian is charming. Focus on that," Dick advised. He walked across the kitchen and took Damian's vacated seat. "And surly control freaks don't like being interrupted when they're reading the morning papers."

"Ah. Well I'll get the hang of this eventually. I gotta get going after breakfast though. I gotta pick Lian up, Dinah's got a thing."

"Uh huh. You coming by again this weekend?"

"You want me to?"

"Course I want you to." Dick smiled sappily at him. "We seem to be in a lull regarding personal tragedy. I want to make the most of it while it lasts."

Roy snorted. "That's such a Bat perspective. So what, things can't stay good? Is that what you're saying?"

"Well come on, just look at our histories. We get pockets of good days but then something always happens." Dick calmly took a bite of Damian's omelet, unaware of Roy standing behind him gaping.

"That is so psychologically unhealthy I don't even know how to comment. Dick, of course everything's going to go to shit if you expect it to happen!"

"Well it does. Periodically something bad always happens. Even when all of my personal relationships are good, that doesn't mean anything. That just means we'll be invaded by an alien overlord or the multiverse will either destroy itself or spontaneously regenerate or something. Either way stress. I handle it better if I expect it."

Roy shook his head. "Well I suppose you usually are in the thick of it when the big shit goes down. But that doesn't mean you should expect something bad to happen with us. Things have been so good…" Roy came up behind Dick and brushed his fingertips down Dick's back. "I think we've managed to stumble upon a well-functioning relationship."

"You think so?"

"Well…the only reason we didn't work last time was because we were idiot kids. I've grown up a lot since then, and you're still unearthly gorgeous and fantastic, so why shouldn't we work?"

Dick sighed. "Something's going to happen. Bet you anything within the next two weeks tops, something is going to happen."

"Fine. What do you want to bet?" Roy asked.

Dick looked thoughtful for a moment. "If I win, we do the kinky roof sex."

"Fine, if I win we do costumes in bed."

"I still say that's a terrible idea."

"And I say that kinky roof sex is a good way to blow your secret identity and any rep you've built with the superhero community once word gets out."

Dick held up a finger. "First, I've never once gotten caught. Second, what rep? Everyone already knows we're sluts."

"Oh yeah. Well the kids don't."

"What do you mean? Remember when I visited you at the Watchtower while you had monitor duty and you butt dialed Titans Tower while I was blowing you?"

Roy smacked a hand to his face. "Yes, as that was less than a week ago I remember, but I wasn't talking about the Teen Titans. We've got a new generation of hero kids now. Irey? Jai? Damian? I know he's seen us making out and he knows we have sex, but so far he's only aware of what we do in beds and can choose to believe it's boring and traditional if he so wishes."

Dick laughed. "Oh…nice to think there could be a generation of heroes who won't see us as hormone driven sex fiends."

"Yeah. The jokes at the water cooler are getting kinda old."

"You know what the solution is, don't you?"

"Be less kinky?" Roy suggested, feigning distaste.

"No, never that. Just don't get caught."

"Right, right. Well, in two weeks we'll be wearing our costumes behind closed doors and it won't matter."

"No, we'll be fucking on a roof to distract ourselves from one of our lives having gone to hell. Besides Roy, if we ever did bring the costumes into the bedroom, I'm in the batsuit now. Do you know how many ways you can electrocute yourself trying to get me out of it? You really want to expose your genitals to that?"

Before Roy could answer there was a stage cough from the doorway. They both snapped their heads in that direction and turned as magenta as Alfred, who was uncomfortably trying not to look at either of them.

"Uh…g'morning Alfred," Dick greeted, exuding so much awkwardness it was almost palpable.

"I cooked breakfast!" Roy said brightly.

"Right, then you won't require my assistance." Alfred hurriedly left the kitchen, and after another moment of tense silence, Roy and Dick burst into laughter.

*******

Damian was sitting in the bunker when Dick walked down, mostly suited up but lacking his cape and mask. "Ready to go? I've got a tip about the warehouses down by the docks tonight. Damian, everything alright?"

"Hm? Oh yes…fine." Damian had been staring at a scrap of paper. He folded it and was about to tuck it into his utility belt, but he halted his actions at Dick's politely curious glance.

"What's that?"

"Oh, er…nothing." Despite his dismissive attitude, Damian handed off the paper while he affixed his domino mask. "Lian invited me to her sixth birthday party, but I don't think I should go."

"Why not? I thought you were getting along with her."

"I am, but…"

"Did you not like Wally's kids? I mean, I'm sure they're invited too, but Roy said you won them toys at the amusement park, so I'd kinda hoped that meant you were getting along with-"

"There was nothing wrong with the West twins, although the girl was a bit chattier than I would have preferred. It's just…it's me. I don't think I'd belong at a six year old's birthday party."

When they'd first started working together, there was no chance Damian would have made such an admission to Dick. Even two weeks ago, he probably wouldn't have let Dick see any reflection of emotional vulnerability. He took a second to mentally acknowledge that, along with gratitude for the change in their relationship. Damian was finally starting to trust him.

"Damian, Roy and Lian know about you. They know that you haven't exactly led a normal life, and they still chose to invite you. The party's probably going to be full of superheroes anyway, so no one's going to be 'normal'. If you want to go, I think you should go. It'll be good for you to hang out with some kids and relax."

"I've never been to one of these. I'll be completely unaware of the social protocols. What if I ruin her party?"

"I really don't think-"

"If someone startles me, my first instinct is to break their wrist. I've never watched any of the television shows or movies Lian and the West twins were discussing, and they were discussing them at length, and apparently I 'dress and talk funny'. No, I'd better not go." He took the invitation back and stuffed it in one of his utility belt compartments.

Dick frowned, a bit surprised by the level of discomfort Damian was exuding. The kid was always in control, and even though social situations were difficult for him to navigate, so far he'd always risen to the challenge. Then again, bossing around executives at Wayne Enterprises and attending the occasional Gotham socialite gala were quite different from a kid's birthday party.

And how bizarre was that? When Dick was an adolescent ward of the boy billionaire, he'd always hated the formal situations and loved the smaller stuff. Then again, he and Damian were very different people.

"Well if you change your mind, I'm probably going to the party. You know, assuming nothing big goes down between now and then to keep me in Gotham."

"Will you bring her a present if I purchase it?" Damian asked.

Dick started walking towards the batmobile, hoping Damian hadn't seen his smile. "You can give it to her yourself you know. We could always visit before the party."

Damian scowled. "I'd rather not go to Star City. Can't we just invite her here?"

"We could do that, sure. I'll give Roy a call when we get in from patrol."

*******

Throughout the patrol, Damian kept asking Dick questions about what little girls might like for presents. It made for some interesting banter while they were taking down thugs at the docks, but by the time they were swinging between skyscrapers and hopping from fire escapes to window ledges, Dick was getting a bit tired of summarizing Disney movies, trying to explain how coloring books could be fun, or trying to dissuade Damian from buying Lian an edged weapon.

"Well, she wants to be a superhero," Damian pointed out moodily.

"Uh huh. Roy just got her her first bow and arrow set. I think that's good enough to start with."

Damian snorted. "Archery. That skill is next to useless in the field."

"I dunno. Roy and Ollie do pretty well."

"They're mediocre at best. I don't know how the archers ever made it onto the Justice League, but I consider that a tactical mistake. How useful could they possibly be in combat situations? In addition, aren't the Amazons trained in archery and myriad other forms of combat?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then doesn't that make Red Arrow redundant as long as Wonder Woman is on the team?"

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose. "Roy brings more than just his archery skills to a team. Which, by the by, are pretty impressive. Wonder Woman's good with a bow, but she's not as good as Roy."

"Well what does he bring?"

"He's a really good fighter-"

"So's everyone on the team."

"He's smart-"

"He's somewhat more perceptive than average, but I wouldn't say he's particularly intelligent, and again, that makes him redundant. Most of the Justice League is 'smart'."

"Damian, just because you don't like someone doesn't mean they don't belong on the Justice League," Dick said, some exasperation seeping into his tone.

That remark got Damian huffy. "I just don't see why he's on the team when there are people more qualified to be there!"

"Such as?" Dick asked, curious.

"Well, you for one! How come you're not on the team and that pompous doofus is?"

"Damian, I've been invited to be a member of the Justice League multiple times. I've declined active membership in favor of reserve status."

Damian's expression iced over. He gazed off into the distance, as though scanning the streets for criminal activity, and took a second to answer. "Oh. I was unaware. You know, your reserve status isn't listed in your file."

"I should update it then."

"Why did you decline membership?"

Dick shrugged. "Lotta reasons, really. I guess the biggest one is that I always saw the Justice League as Bruce's thing and I didn't want to…" He broke off, not wanting to finish that thought in Damian's presence.

Of course, there was no way Damian was going to let him get away with it that easily. "You didn't want to what? Be a part of something my father started?"

"C'mon, I'm crouching behind a gargoyle wearing a modified version of one of your dad's bulky, uncomfortable, impractically over-armored suits. And I frickin' hate capes. I just…just wanted Bruce to have the League, and I'd have my own teams and my own circle."

"And your own identity. I see." Damian shifted again so that he was looking at Dick. "I find it incredibly interesting that you've spent so long casting off father's influence in order to blaze your own path, when I would take it all in a heartbeat if it could insulate me from Mother. I'd much rather be Batman than the monstrosity she wishes I'd become."

"I'll teach you everything I know about the mantle, and if you still want it when you're tall enough for the position you can have it."

"Deal."

They enjoyed a comfortable silence for a few minutes, scanning the city from their respective positions and losing themselves in separate thoughts and fantasies for the future. Damian finally broke the silence after twenty minutes' worth of companionable silence.

"I understand that children are partial to board games. Do you think she'll like chess?"

"Uh, Damian, she's six."

"Oh, right, of course. She's had six years to acquire a chess set on her own. Well what other games do normal children play?"

"Tell you what. Let's hit up a toy store tomorrow after the board meeting and browse."

"If you insist."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian wishes Lian a happy birthday; The Bats receive some unpleasant news

Chapter Four

Damian was standing motionless before a wall of pink boxes containing brightly colored plastic monstrosities. He didn't understand any of it, despite hours of preliminary research via Youtube videos of commercials. His research demonstrated that these items were, in fact, what females of Lian's age found "fun". He narrowed his eyes at what he considered to be a particularly grotesque bobblehead attempting to imitate a cat. At least the large eyed candy colored ponies were cute.

Dick kept wandering off to other sections of the toy store, but periodically returned to stand at the end of the aisle, impatiently tapping his fingers against his crossed arms. After five repetitions, he decided to speak up. "C'mon Damian, you're starting to wig out the employees. Will you just pick something?"

"If it were that easy, I would have done it by now," Damian snapped.

Dick walked up to Damian, scanned the row of toys, and grabbed one of the larger boxes containing various candy colored ponies. "Here. She likes these."

"Well then she might have them already. Either that, or one of her friends will have purchased them for her already. It's too obvious."

Scowling, Dick set the box back on the shelf and picked another one. "How about this one? Roy was saying she liked the Rainbow pony the best."

"I repeat, then someone will have done that for her already."

"Fine! I give up. If you need me, I'll be in the DVD section."

As soon as Dick was out of sight, Damian slipped his smartphone from his pocket and looked up My Little Pony. He discovered that these particular toys were only the latest incarnation of a toyline for girls that had been around since the 1980s. He pulled up E-Bay and bought toys he was sure Lian wouldn't already own. He then went to the DVD aisle and coolly informed Dick that he was done.

Dick quirked an eyebrow. "You didn't buy anything."

"Yes I did."

Dick shook his head, and decided it wasn't worth questioning.

*******

Almost all of the ponies Damian ordered arrived before the end of the week, which was perfect since Lian and Roy were coming for dinner on Saturday. Sensing that this was more important to Damian than he was letting on (as anything important to him would undoubtedly be), Dick called in some favors and had some of his friends patrol Gotham the night of the visit, meaning they'd most likely get to enjoy a quiet night in (although with Dick's luck there'd be another Crisis).

Alfred helped Damian wrap the toys in festive pink paper, commenting occasionally that there certainly were a lot of them. Damian mentioned that more were coming, but quickly assured the butler that he wasn't going to bother wrapping those. He'd decided to forward the remaining packages to Star City as soon as they arrived. Alfred looked more than a little relieved as he finished curling the ribbon on the last present before beating a quick retreat.

Damian surveyed the mountain of gifts on his bed and accepted the possibility that he may have gone overboard. It seemed though, that where he couldn't assure the quality of his presents given his lack of experience, that quanitity ought to be taken as a sign of good intention. He was still observing the presents while thoughtfully chewing at his lip when Dick knocked on his door.

"They're here."

"On my way."

Damian found Lian was in the living room. She was showing Alfred some new crayon drawings she'd made on the ride over, and she was wearing a princess costume instead of a dress, which was odd, but the only thing about it that bothered Damian was that he felt he should have placed which character the dress was meant to emulate. He'd been staring at princess merchandise for hours earlier in the week, and that particular glittery yellow gown looked familiar.

Her father was sitting on the couch behind her with her backpack, but Damian barely acknowledged his presence, something that had become second nature.

"Hi Damian!" Lian smiled brightly as soon as she saw him lurking in the hallway. She skipped across the room and threw her arms around him. Startled, he stiffened and waited for the embrace to end. She'd hugged him twice before, when they were at the amusement park, and as such he'd prepared for the possibility that it may happen again, that being the only reason he hadn't instinctively pinned her when she'd come charging at him.

Lian squeezed him tightly before she let him go. "Did you really invite me over here yourself?"

"Y-yes," Damian answered, feeling a bit unsure of himself. Had that been presumptuous?

"Thank you so much! I love visiting my friends houses." Apparently not.

A slow, wavering smile formed on Damian's lips. "You're welcome."

The adults watched the interaction visibly expressing shades of surprise. "She's meta," Dick murmured.

Roy hadn't heard him clearly. "Are you calling Lian names?"

"No, I'm just saying, she's gotta have some superpower we've never taken into account. Look at him. She got Damian to smile."

Roy nodded. "It's kinda creepy."

"I can hear you talking about us, and I don't appreciate it," Damian snapped. Roy and Dick had the good grace to look guilty about it. Lian turned around and eyed them curiously.

"Miss Lian, would you care to accompany me to my room?"

"Sure."

He offered her his arm, which confused the little girl, so she took his hand instead and swung it as they walked down the hall and into his room. Roy and Dick waited for the door to shut before they started laughing.

"That should not be as funny as it is," Roy snorted. "I mean, I mean, I know it's sad really that he doesn't know how to act like a kid, but..."

"No, the look on his face when Lian hugged him was pretty priceless," Dick agreed.

Alfred muttered something under his breath, and left under the pretense of hanging Lian's pictures on the fridge.

As soon as Alfred was gone, Roy scooched closer to Dick on the couch. Dick crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow, and Roy scooched right back to his own cushion. "Roy, the kids are right there."

"I know, I was going to behave...y'know, mostly. So...you skipping out on the real party Sunday?"

Dick scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I dunno. Things have been kinda crazy here. We've had conspiracy after conspiracy pile up on each other, and I'm starting to think that Tim was onto something about Bruce being alive...there's a lot to investigate. And since you guys are here today..."

"Hey, that's cool. I get it." He did look a little disappointed though, which surprised Dick. He didn't expect that his presence at a birthday party would really be missed.

Roy wrapped an arm around the back of the couch and tapped his fingers impatiently against it. "So...what are we going to do while the kids...I dunno how to word what's going on in there. Play and..."

"Gather anthropoligcal data on the habits of young female Americans," Dick filled in. Roy snorted. "We could watch a movie."

"Oh thank God. I was afraid you were going to say sit quietly and read." Roy hopped off the couch to start digging through the DVDs while Dick let out a noise of exasperation.

"Not that there's anything wrong with it, but when have I suggested sitting quietly and reading as an activity with you?"

"When we were sixteen."

"Well that was before I knew you very well, and to be fair, at that point I wasn't aware you lacked an attention span."

Roy flipped him the bird without looking up from the shelves of DVDs by the entertainment center. He seemed surprised by something. "What?" Dick asked.

"You've actually got some real movies here. I was expecting it all to be, like, history channel documentaries or something."

"For starters," Dick said, sneaking up behind Roy and resting an arm lightly on his back. "I only watch history channel documentaries to make fun of them and would certainly never own them. But Damian and I have collected a decent amount of PBS documentaries. We've got some good episodes of Nova, if you're interested in educational televsion. Or maybe a Ken Burns special?"

"Do I have to dignify that with a response?"

"Ass. Just put in one of the Simpsons seasons."

"That was the plan."

Meanwhile, in Damian's room Lian had unwrapped her presents and, after gushing about all of her new ponies and the giant pink castle to go with them, Lian had decided to teach Damian how to play with them.

"I'm not sure this is a gender appropriate activity," Damian objected.

"What do you mean?" Lian asked.

"I'm a boy. I thought these toys were for girls."

"Oh. Well Grandpa Ollie plays with my toys with me a lot, and he's not a little girl. I don't think it matters as long as you're playing with someone else."

Damian still felt unsure of himself, but he obediently took a seat in front of the castle playset and waited for instruction. Lian picked up a white unicorn pony with a red mane and made her gallop in front of the castle. "Clop-clop-clop. It sure is a pretty day in Ponyville, don't you think so?" Here she looked pointedly at Damian.

"Oh, er..." He selected a blue pegasis with a pink mane. "Yes. It is quite lovely."

Lian giggled at him. "What do you wanna do today? It's perfect weather Mrs. Flying-pony. We could do anything."

Damian looked at his pony skeptically. "I don't think those wings are big enough to get this horse airborn."

"Maybe it works by magic or superpowers instead. I know a whole buncha people who fly without wings."

"That is true, I suppose. You know, if you let me take this pegasis down to the Bunker, I probably could make her fly."

"Really?" Lian asked, face lighting up.

"Well, I did build a flying batmobile."

Lian seized him in another one of her frighteningly sudden hugs. "Damian, you're like the bestest playmate ever!"

"Well, I do tend to excel at things."

*******

They melted three pony figures before Damian got one in the air, and even then it only hovered weakly. Lian was pleased with that, but Damian promised to keep practicing until he got them to fly the way they did in the cartoons.

Things started getting hectic again, but Dick felt like he was managing it better than when he'd first put on the cowl. He and Damian had evolved into a real partnership, which made a huge difference. To make it even better, he actually started hearing from Tim again, albeit sporadically.

Dick ended up forgetting about Lian's party entirely until he bumped into Donna at the Watchtower.

"Are you wearing a silly band?"

Donna glanced down at her silver Amazonian cuff bracelet, which had a pink silly band over it, and held it up for inspection. "It's in the shape of a clarinet. From Lian's goody bag. We all missed you at the party."

"Oh shit. I meant to call, at least. Roy didn't seem mad, did he? He was over at our place the day before, and we gave Lian our presents then-"

"Dick, you don't have to explain yourself to me," Donna said, laughing. "We all know how busy you get. It was fine, Roy seemed fine, and Lian had fun. She got a good haul of presents too."

"Yeah, well we've been spoiling her rotten since Roy brought her back from Cheshire's, so that's not a surprise. He really seemed okay about me blowing him off?"

Donna frowned, considering him with that piercing mother-hen stare she used to use on them at Titans Tower. "I think he actually was a little upset."

Dick glanced around the corridor they were standing in to make sure it was devoid of other Costumes (although that meant nothing thanks to heroes with enhanced senses), and then lowered his voice. "It's not just me missing the party, is it? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"It's okay Dick. Frankly, emotionally you boys are idiots and I think you need all the help you can get," Donna said, rolling her eyes.

Despite the gentle teasing, Dick was thankful that Donna was willing to counsel him through this stuff. They'd gone through the highly awkward experience of both thinking they were monogomously dating Roy when they were teenagers, and the drama that followed had resulted in Roy stepping down from being a full time Titan. It was really good of Donna to overlook all that and try to help the two of them now.

"He did tell me he was annoyed you didn't show up, but what's really bothering him is that if he wants to see you, he has to drag himself up to Gotham. Have you really not gone to Star once since you started dating again?"

"I don't really have the luxury of leaving Gotham unless it's for a case. Like I said, things have been crazy-"

"I know." Donna smiled in a way that was more of a wince. "But when has that ever not been the case? You always have more going on than the rest of us, except possibly with the exception of Wally when he switched over to being the Flash. We get it. More people target you than us, and your cities go nuts. But the fact that you haven't visited him even once is the kind of thing that can legitimately hurt someone's feelings."

Dick frowned. "I did tell him it was a bad idea to date me right now, and he said he could deal with it and that I shouldn't worry about it. I told him I'd be a shitty boyfriend and that I couldn't really carry my weight in the relationship."

"And it was very sweet of him to say that he didn't need reciprocation from you, but c'mon Grayson, you're not stupid. You had to know that was typical Harper bravado, right?"

When she said it like that, it seemed so obvious.

"Well...I was planning on heading up to the Manor today to do some poking around. Did I tell you, we got some intel that Bruce might not be dead?"

"Congratulations. Go hug your boyfriend."

"You know, you're supposed to be the nice one."

Donna laughed. "Dick, I love you like a brother and that is in fact the only reason you haven't tasted Amazonian wrath for jerking around a man I happen to care about very deeply."

Dick bristled at that. "I'm not jerking him around this time! I've been straightforward about everything. He knew what he was getting into."

"Mm hm. Does that really make you feel better?"

"...no. I'll go hug him."

"Good man."

*******

Dick changed into street clothes and teleported down to Star City. He hadn't actually seen Roy's new house yet. It was cute. Nice little one family with a good sized backyard. They had targets set up in the yard, one with fierce looking red arrows crowded against each other in the center, another smaller one with little pink arrows scattered on the grass in front of it.

Dick knocked on the door and waited to be let in. It took a few minutes, but eventually a frazzled looking Mia Dearden greeted him. "Oh, hey. You're not looking for a teamup, are you? Roy's on monitor duty tonight."

"No, I was just coming by to say hi. Is he leaving already?" Dick glanced at his watch.

"He's supposed to go in a half hour, but Lian's throwing a tantrum so...yeah. Not a great time for a visit." Mia shook her head. "She normally loves it when I babysit."

"I wouldn't take it personally Mia. I'll just poke my head in so he knows I tried, okay?"

Mia shrugged her shoulders and waved him inside. "Suit yourself."

He could hear Lian yelling from upstairs. "You've been gone every night this week! Every night! You skipped Daddy-Daughter Day again! Please-please-please just stay home tonight?"

Dick navigated his way through the house, stepping around half unpacked boxes, paint cans, and the normal debris that accumulated when a single dad couldn't find enough hours in the day to clean up after an energetic six year old. There were still party decorations up in the living room.

He felt a twinge of guilt, seeing the state of the house. Dick knew Roy hated moving Lian around as much as he did, and that he always tried to make their houses seem like homes as soon as possible after a move. Clearly taking out time for excursions to Gotham was interfering with some of his fatherly duties, which Dick felt to be more important than crime fighting.

Donna was right. Dick needed to try harder to carry his weight in this.

Lian had stopped screaming by the time Dick got to her bedroom. He knocked on the open door and peeked into the room. Roy was wearing his costume, except the mask, and holding Lian as though she were still a toddler. She had her arms securely around his neck and had buried her face in his chest. Roy locked eyes with Dick and mouthed 'five more minutes'. Nodding, Dick went downstairs to wait.

Mia was in the living room, setting up an arts and crafts project on the coffee table. She smiled at him, only showing a little bit of tension. "I know Lian's got some separation anxiety going, but I think this one might have gone over better if he hadn't told her he was leaving broccoli for supper."

Dick shook his head. "Hey, at least he didn't have you break it to her."

"That's true, I guess."

Dick and Mia idly chatted for a few minutes, and eventually Lian ran in looking more like her cheerful self. "Daddy said I could stay up late and watch all three of the Toy Story movies together if I behaved, so I'm behaving now. Do you want to wear the Jessie hat or the Woody one? Because I have both! Grandpa Ollie got me both costumes for my birthday!"

Mia pretended to think for a minute. "I think I'd prefer Woody's."

"Okay, I'll go get them."

Mia snorted. "Grandpa Ollie got her those costumes along with a bazillion other things."

Roy was leaning against the doorway. Dick got up, nodded at Mia, and they walked into the kitchen. "So...what brings you by?"

"Among other things, a powerful guilt trip from Donna." Dick figured it was best to be truthful. "Uh...sorry I haven't been a very good boyfriend so far."

"Dick, you made it really clear you weren't going to be able to offer much, and I told you I could handle it. I'm handling it."

"Yeah, but...you've been giving me a lot of support. I don't want it if...I mean, you should be unpacked by now. Anyway, it's just not fair. I'll try harder."

Roy stroked the side of Dick's face, rubbing his gloved thumb over Dick's cheekbone. He loved the feel of Roy's gloves. They weren't abrasive like the Bat uniforms, and the caress felt like the tender motion it was meant to be. "Dick, I really don't care. I'm just glad you didn't dump me."

"I don't want you to settle. You deserve better."

"I don't know about that, but I am happy with you. And you know I'd tell you if I wasn't."

Dick wasn't sure that was true, but he was willing to let it go for the moment. He leaned in for a kiss, savoring every wonderful sensory detail that went with kissing his man. There was something hot about the way Roy felt and smelled when he was in his costume (the leather with his natural musk was so erotic even his tacky aftershave couldn't kill the surge of lust hitting Dick in the groin). Maybe losing the bet wouldn't be so bad...Dick could probably modify the batsuit to make it less prone to electric castration in the bedroom.

Roy broke the kiss, and Dick made a small sound of loss that he honestly hadn't heard from himself since he was a kid. "Sorry Dick, but I've gotta get going. I'm a responsible Justice-League type now, remember?"

"Yeah yeah."

"If you want, you're welcome to visit. It's just monitor duty."

"I've actually gotta work on a case tonight. I was just dropping by to say hello. I'm, um, going to try to do that a bit more often."

Roy smiled, stroked Dick's cheek again, and then went into the living room to say goodbye to Lian.

*******

Dick and Damian endured a long night at the Manor that resulted in some pretty significant discoveries. Even though he was, as usual, pretending otherwise, Damian was rattled by what his mother had done to his skeletal system and Dick couldn't say he blamed him. Hell, he was pretty disturbed by the fact that Talia had turned her child into a remote controlled kill-bot. After making plans to seek Talia out and "discuss" the deep invasion of privacy, the two had decided not to talk about it ever again, and they'd both taken some time off to destress from the disturbing encounter.

Damian went down to the Bunker to keep working on Lian's ponies, leaving Dick on the couch with his laptop.

Damian still barely understood what one did with plastic ponies, but after a few hours of effort, he was able to make one of the pegasis ponies soar across the bunker with relative grace. He smiled in satisfaction, then picked up one of the unicorns and started thinking about ways to modify it. There had to be something he could do other than simply making its horn glow.

Then Dick walked into the bunker with a pained expression on his face Damian had rarely beheld on him. He may not have been very good at conventional social cues, but sorrow he understood perfectly. "What's wrong?"

Dick tried to speak, but at first only shook his head. Damian stood up and approached him, and after a moment Dick found his voice. "Damian, I'm so sorry...Lian is dead."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick reflects on the past while Damian attempts to cope with his grief

Chapter Five

Damian regarded Dick with a blank stare. After a moment he nodded, then silently turned and walked over to the workbench he'd been modifying ponies on. He held out his palm, swiped it across the bench, and knocked everything into a trashcan.

Dick closed his eyes. His face was still tight in a pained grimace.

"What happened?" Damian demanded. It was a subtle shift, but that was definitely his Robin-voice. Though his normal speaking voice and his costumed adventuring voice were both made up of arrogant disdain and rage, the normal speaking voice held more arrogance while the Robin voice held more rage.

"It-there…there was an attack on Star City. Th-the buildings collapsed. She was found in the rubble." It was a horrible way to die. Dick couldn't stop imagining the little girl crying in a blind panic as her house came down on her, or worse, sitting with calm determination, waiting for one of the superheroes she'd grown up with to save her. Either way she'd probably been calling for her dad.

Damian sat down on the bench, hunched over with his arms resting on his knees. He looked thoughtful. "Do we know who engineered the attack?"

"The League is looking into it. Look, Damian, I know this is…that this sucks, but I'm not taking it so well myself. Roy was attacked too. He could be dying and I, I have to leave. I need you to do me a favor and just listen to me without argument for a little while. I can't…I just can't fight with you right now."

Damian looked up, met Dick's pained gaze, and quickly flinched away. He nodded in the general direction of the floor. "I'm surprised you would expect that of me. But tell me first, when you say the League is looking into it...what does that mean?"

Dick sat down next to Damian, and neither of them looked at the other. "A villain named Prometheus organized the attack. We're still tracking down accomplices, but we have footage of him on the Watchtower…he cut Roy's arm off. Roy's in a coma, and when he wakes up we have to tell him…" Dick broke off. He gave himself a little shake and continued. "Anyway, we don't know where Prometheus is. The League is looking into it, and right now I'm heading out to see Roy with Donna and Wally. I want you to stay with Wally's family while I'm gone. It won't be long, I promise."

"I'd rather look for Prometheus." Damian was careful to keep his tone neutral, but it was clear he wanted to fight.

"I know. I expected as much. But…look, I know you don't think of yourself as a kid, and mostly I don't either. But the fact is that you are. You're Bruce's son, and that makes you family. I can only deal with the thought of so many small coffins right now. Until I'm onto a different stage of grief, I want you to be safe, and you'll be safe with Linda and the kids."

"If I accept your argument, will you admit that it's completely irrational and that I'll make myself safe wherever I happen to be?"

"Of course."

"Fine. My time would be better spent tracking down Prometheus. But I'll stay with the Wests."

SOME YEARS AGO…

Dick was in his room sitting at the desk in front of an open window, trying to tempt in a non-existent breeze. It was a sweltering night, and he wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't be better off out hopping rooftops with Bruce.

Unfortunately, he'd been benched from active duty due to slipping grades. They hadn't dropped by much; he was an honors student, and had been working at a higher level than any of his peers since he'd started living with an eccentric super genius. But Bruce had noticed his A's slipping to A minuses and, most recently, a few B pluses. Until he pulled everything back up to the level of his usual performance, he wasn't allowed to do any costumed hero work beyond the occasional Teen Titans meeting. Bruce's first rule was that the costume wouldn't detract from Dick's "normal" life (as though that were possible).

It wasn't easy to focus on calculus when he thought about his partner working patrols alone though. There were so many things that could go wrong. But Bruce was so stubborn. There was no arguing with him; Dick had tried that before and only gotten benched longer. Sighing, he trained his eyes back on his text book and tried to take the information in.

Then an arrow whizzed in through the open window and stuck in a cork memo board on the opposite wall. Dick went over to the memo board, extracted a familiar looking red arrow, and then poked his head out the open window.

Roy Harper waved up at him. He was crouching in the bushes just below the window. Dick pointed towards the grounds, watched for Roy's nod, and then went to find his shoes.

Ten minutes later they were at a familiar meeting spot on the edge of Bruce's property. It was a little clearing with small boulders just the right size for seats, the ashes of old bonfires, and scattered beer bottles (Roy's) and crushed cans of soda (Dick's).

Roy was lounging against one of the boulders smoking a cigarette when Dick got there. He wasn't exactly pleased to see Roy with a cigarette (after all they weren't meta; he was going to need those lungs), but then, at least it was only a cigarette. Dick quickly looked him over, and catalogued the changes in his friend before he sat down.

Roy looked thinner. He may have lost five pounds since the last time Dick had seen him, which was only two weeks ago at a Titan's meeting. His hair was longer as well, and unkempt, and it had probably been a few days since he'd shaved. He was also pale, with smudges under his bloodshot eyes. His clothes were scrubby and he had a backpack with him. Really, he looked almost homeless.

"So what brings you to Gotham this time?" Dick asked.

"Just wanted to see you," Roy answered. His voice sounded hoarse, unused.

"Is everything alright?" Dick asked, in an attempt to gently provoke deeper conversation. He really needed to be inside working on his calculus so he'd be able to back Bruce up. But there was no way in hell he was leaving Roy alone in the woods when he looked that despondent and ragged. There had to be a quick way to address his problems.

Roy didn't answer Dick. He stubbed out the cigarette, then pulled Dick into a fierce kiss that tasted like smoke, beer, and unbrushed teeth. He flinched and pulled away. "God Roy, would it kill you to have a breath mint first?"

"Sorry. Didn't pack any."

"Where are you staying?" Dick asked, afraid of the answer.

Roy shrugged noncommittally. "Do you gotta grill me right now?"

"Sorry, detective thing." Dick flashed a self-deprecating smile. Roy moved to try to kiss him again and Dick scooched further away. "Will you knock it off? I told you, I'm not doing that anymore unless you end it with Donna."

"You're right. M'sorry." Roy hugged his arms and started rocking back and forth. Dick wasn't entirely sure cigarettes and beer were the only things he'd drank and smoked recently.

Sighing, Dick hesitantly patted Roy's shoulder, and the other teen leaned into the comforting touch. Roy's breathing hitched, and Dick pulled him into a hug. He held him while he rocked back and forth, and wished, not for the first time, that he could really do something for his friend's pain. Though Roy said these meetings helped him, they usually left Dick feeling hollow and useless. For the first couple of years they'd known each other, Dick had tried as hard as he could to help Roy. He'd really invested himself emotionally, but there was no return. Roy kept spiraling, getting worse and worse, and there was nothing Dick could do to stop it.

It seemed like the only way to keep himself sane was to just shut down and stop empathizing, but that idea was abhorrent.

"Don't close down on me Harper. I know you didn't come all the way to Gotham just to shut me out. What happened?"

Roy inhaled deeply, and choked out another hitched breath. Dick didn't think he was going to answer, but he finally broke his silence. "Ollie left."

"What? He what?" Dick couldn't have heard that right. Green Arrow had adopted an orphan. He had to understand that that meant baggage and abandonment issues. He had to know you couldn't just abandon an orphan.

"I got home from school one day and…and he was just gone. We'd had a really huge fight the night before and I guess he just got sick of me or something."

"He didn't say where he went?"

Roy shook his head. "He left a bag of empties in the kitchen with a note on it. Told me to cash 'em in and buy a pizza, because he was going on a trip with Green Lantern and he wasn't sure when he was getting back. I got the pizza, but I didn't get rent money. He's been gone for two months. I started couch hopping but I, I can't keep staying with Corey. It's…it's just not an option."

"Okay." Dick took a deep breath, his hold compulsively tightening around Roy. "I…" He didn't have a clue how to fix this. "Maybe Bruce will let you stay with us for awhile?"

Roy pulled away, stood up, and started pacing. "No. No, no, no-no-no. Can't stay with Batman. That's not, that's not a good plan."

"Well then what did you come here for?" Dick asked.

"I didn't come here to spill my guts, and I certainly didn't come here so you'd go and narc on me to freaking Batman!" Roy snapped.

Dick shot to his feet. "What are you on? I thought you were just a little drunk or something, but it's not that, is it?"

Roy sneered at him. "I'm not on anything at the moment, but that's part of my problem. God, you really are a sheltered little snot for a costumed crime fighter. This is what withdrawal looks like, and Batman'd spot it in a second."

Dick felt that bitter combination of helplessness and hollowness again. "What are you withdrawing from?"

"Does it matter? Fine, I'm a fucking junkie. I'm using heroin, okay? Corey offered me his stash, and I was feeling so worthless I just wanted to forget about myself or curl up and fucking die, so I took it. And then I did it again, and fucking again and again and now I can't stop but there's no more money. I don't know what I'm doing Dick. I'm going crazy." Roy stopped ranting for a second, eyes locking on Dick's terrified looking blue ones. Dick's hands were shaking. Roy stepped back, and fumbled around by the boulders for his bag. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry Dick. I shouldn't be unloading this shit on you. It's not your shit. You shouldn't have to worry about me."

"Wait, wait don't…" Dick grabbed Roy's arm and shook it until he dropped his bag. He grabbed Roy and pulled him close for a crushing kiss, not caring about the smoke or the beer on his breath. "There's got to be a way I can help you," Dick insisted.

Roy cupped his face in his hands and brushed his thumb over Dick's cheekbone. "I really wish you could. But we know how this is gonna end. I'm gonna wind up back in Star with my buds, putting poison in my veins so I can ignore my demons a little longer."

"Can't you just stop?" Dick asked, voice breaking on the words. He closed his eyes, wincing at how pathetic he sounded.

"Maybe," Roy said, unable to make even that noncommittal statement sound believable. "I'm really sorry Dick. I shouldn't have come out here. It was selfish. I just thought…I thought seeing you might make me feel better."

It was selfish of him. He never unloaded like this on his girlfriend, on Donna. That privilege was reserved for his kind-of sort-of boyfriend.

They kissed again, and Roy apologized some more, told Dick how beautiful he was and that Roy didn't deserve him, his usual ramblings when he felt guilty and horny. Dick kissed him to shut him up, and tried to drown the inner voice that told him this might be the last time he saw Roy, that his bad choices were going to catch up to him, that the path he was headed could only end one way, and instead Dick tried to memorize everything about Roy at that very moment, from the scratch of stubble against his skin to the feel of his strong hands clinging to Dick's back.

"You should go," Roy murmured. "It's a school night, right?"

"Yeah. But what about you? I can't just leave you."

"Sure you can. Dick, I'm not your problem."

'Then why are you here?' Dick thought angrily. "I won't leave unless I know you're going to be safe."

"I have a few couches left. I'll be fine, really." Roy was unconvincing at best, but Dick didn't have the mental energy to argue with him. He planted a quick goodbye kiss on Roy's mouth, left for the manor, and didn't turn around again until he'd gotten inside.

Focusing on the calculus homework after that just wasn't going to happen.

Heroin. Roy was using heroin. He really was going to die, and Dick didn't know how to save him.

Dick went down to the Batcave and waited for Bruce. When the batmobile finally pulled into the cave a few hours later, he was still sitting by the computer. Bruce pulled down his cowl as he approached his ward, looking none too pleased to see him.

"You should either be upstairs working on your schoolwork or sleeping. I'm not changing my mind until you pull your grades back up."

Dick faced him unflinchingly. "I want you to find Green Arrow. He should be with Green Lantern somewhere."

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "What's this about?"

"Mr. Queen needs to go back to Star City. Will you tell him that for me? It's really important."

"Fine. I'll mention it at the next Justice League meeting. Now go to bed."

Dick nodded, and went back upstairs.

PRESENT

"Um…anyone want a coffee? I think coffee sounds like a…yeah. Anyway, I'm getting one. Be right back." After choking out his nervous stream of chatter, Wally disappeared from the sickroom in a flurry of anxious movement, leaving Dick and Donna at Roy's bedside.

At the moment, Donna had the privilege of holding Roy's one unresponsive hand. Dick was staring at the other side, the stub. He'd seen amputees before, but this was painfully different and he couldn't look away. Two days ago he'd had that arm around him. He'd twined fingers with the hand that no longer was, and sucked them into his mouth to tease his boyfriend.

"He's going to wake up. He's strong. He-he'll wake up," Donna said heavily. Dick couldn't tell if she was talking to him or herself.

Probably mostly to herself, but Dick wasn't exactly in a place to give comfort. "And what happens when he does?"

Donna closed her eyes and squeezed Roy's hand more forcefully. "I don't know. We'll help him pull through, I guess."

Dick shook his head, but he didn't say anything. Roy had always kept his worst traits from Donna. His love of her had come with a certain amount of idealization and even something bordering on idolatry. He'd loved Donna for the perfection he believed her to embody, and hoped that by being close to her some of it might rub off on him. She had no idea what kind of lows he was capable of, of how much of a mask his strength was, and how deeply the cracks in that strength penetrated.

Dick had no illusions about that. The only thing that had pulled Roy out of his self-destructive life was finding out about Lian. Roy had shown Dick everything, and he'd almost gone under with the guy last time his life fell apart. And that just wasn't an option this time. Dick wasn't Robin anymore. He was Batman, and he had the entire city of Gotham to look after, and Damian. He needed to take care of Damian. No one else understood the kid like he did.

Dick kept up the silent vigil, all the while knowing he couldn't destroy himself for Roy this time, no matter how much he loved the guy.

*******

"Damian, are you alright? Do you need anything?"

Damian let his head fall to his chest, sat up straight, and slowly opened his eyes. He was sitting in a lotus position on Jai's bedroom floor, where he'd been meditating for what felt like hours.

Mrs. Park-West was standing in the doorway. She looked unsure of herself, and he felt all the more consciously like a burden in her home.

"I'm fine."

She nodded, clearly not believing him but giving token acceptance to his premise. She crossed the room and sat down on her son's bed. "If you want to talk, I'll listen. Dick told me you were friends with Lian."

"I suppose I was." He'd never really bothered with friends before. There was that boy, Colin, but they'd barely seen each other. Lian really had been it. His burgeoning social abilities, choked off by a supervillain he only vaguely remembered reading about in the Batcomputer before the friendship could really bloom. Injustice didn't begin to adequately express the situation.

She was so young. It never should have happened. They were supposed to protect children from things like this.

There was a hand gently squeezing his shoulder, and for the first time in possibly his entire life Damian felt no urge to break the offender's wrist for the sudden violation of personal space. He was caught up in his grief. Mrs. Park-West smoothed back some of his hair in a motherly gesture, and that hurt too. His own mother would never comfort him for emotional distress. He was showing weakness.

Were relationships always this painful? Why did Dick want him to socialize so much if it gave villains this much power over you?

"Damian, I'm so sorry for your loss. She was a sweet little girl, and we're all going to miss her. But you'll be okay. It hurts for a little while, and then eventually you can look back on your memories with her and treasure them for what they are. They're special, and you'll be glad you have them," Mrs. Park-West whispered.

Damian nodded, a sort of emptiness replacing the wrenching pain he'd been feeling. He welcomed it. It was familiar, though it sometimes lead to cruel utterances.

"Thank you Mrs. Park-West. I'd rather be alone now."

"Alright. We're going to have dinner soon. Do you want me to call you down when it's ready, or do you want me to have one of the kids bring you a plate up here?"

"I'd like to be alone. A plate will be fine."

She gave his shoulder another squeeze and then quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her. Damian closed his eyes and tried to resume his meditation.

*******

When Dick picked him up he didn't bother trying to talk about the Harpers, and Damian was grateful. He barely understood the new feelings he was experiencing. Trying to articulate them felt like an impossible task. They lost themselves in work, and after a few days things felt almost normal.

Damian started avoiding his room though. He still had those crayon drawings Lian had sent him taped up by his desk, and whereas he didn't want to take them down, he couldn't stand the thought of looking at them just yet.

When Roy woke from his coma Dick left again, but this time he didn't force Damian to intrude on another family. Damian remained at the penthouse with Alfred, and he distracted himself by rereading his father's write-ups on the most important Crises. For whatever reason, they certainly were experiencing a lot of Crises lately, and Damian thought it best to be prepared for more.

Then Alfred brought in the mail and set down a package addressed for Damian. He glanced at it over the top of the file he was holding, then quickly held the papers above his face, blocking the package from view. "Pennyworth, would you kindly dispose of that?"

"Is something wrong master Damian?"

"No, nothing. I've no use for any more plastic ponies at the moment, however."

He heard the butler sigh, but he dutifully took the unopened package and carried it from the room. A moment later he was back, sitting across from Damian and sorting through the remaining mail. "The funeral should be soon, now that the girl's father has awakened. Are you and master Dick attending?"

Damian's hands shook on the file, but he wouldn't lower it. "I don't know."

"It might help, sir, to bring about a sense of closure?"

"If I achieve a sense of closure, then that means she's really gone you imbecile!" He tossed the file onto the coffee table, jumped to his feet, and started pacing. "And why is it that everyone is grieving over her oaf of a father anyway? He's not dead! And if he feels bad, then he ought to, because it's his fault she's dead! He was supposed to protect her! He was in the Justice League and that's what the Justice Leage does, it protects people! I told Grayson he didn't belong, but he wouldn't listen to me. No one listened and now she's dead and it's too late to fix anything."

"It isn't Mr. Harper's fault that Miss Lian is dead," Alfred said, in a carefully measured tone. Damian sneered, and Alfred cut him off. "And it isn't master Dick's, or yours either. It was a senseless tragedy. I do think though, that it was kind of you to hold this in while master Dick has been present. He certainly didn't need to hear that from you."

"I wasn't-I wasn't being careful of him."

"I think you were."

"Well you don't know anything." Damian snatched up the file and left to finish his reading in the bunker.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six Years Later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I studied Arabic for two years while I was an undergrad, and took a fair few classes on the Middle East for my major and minor (history and religious studies). All the information I present on Arabic as a language and Arab peoples as a culture is informed by my academic studies (which, granted, left a lot to be desired, but those classes were definitely a good starting off point).

Chapter Six

SIX YEARS LATER

"So…you speak Arabic?" Tim muttered.

"Nope," Dick answered, also speaking in a low tone of voice.

"Ah." Tim furrowed his brow. "Does Bruce?"

"Modern Standard. I doubt he understands what those guys down there are saying."

"Hm." He worried at his lower lip with his teeth, taking in the information. "But Damian-"

"Understands every word," Dick said with a nod.

The kid was good with languages in a way Dick and Tim weren't. Hell, even Bruce put visible effort into learning a new language or dialect, but not his son. Damian's native language was the Iraqi dialect of Arabic, but by age sixteen he understood all the dialects, and he'd always spoken fluent English without a trace of a Middle Eastern accent (if anything, at times he sounded a bit British).

Tim leaned against the porch railing and glanced downwards at the ground level of the casino. Damian was chatting away with some shady looking businessmen ("Saudis," he'd said with a sneer. "How stereotypical.") while Bruce hung back, occasionally interjecting a monosyllabic presence in the conversation.

"You know, he's making a good show of following what they're saying," Tim observed.

"He's probably getting every ninth word or so. That's why I picked up a romance language. Figure out one and you can get the gist of the others…kind of. Some languages work better than others," Dick said.

"Mm." Tim frowned. "I'm the only one at all bothered by Damian completely running the show on this, aren't I?"

"What makes you say that?" Dick asked.

"Well for starters he invited me for a team up, even though he still hates me-"

"And you've kept the feeling mutual," Dick said quietly, lacking any overt judgment. Tim still felt stung. He did try, even if it was impossible for Dick or Bruce to see it.

"Right, well, yeah, so he invited me. He's the one who caught wind of this well-funded sacrificial cult-"

"It'd have to have been him. He's the one who reads Arabic print newspapers on a regular basis."

"Well he hasn't exactly let us in on the details of the case, and he's not even letting Bruce have a say in tactics. He knows we're all out of our comfort zone and he's keeping it that way." Tim wanted to see how Dick could argue with that. Damian's actions were suspicious; even though Dick was close with the demented little Robin (who was incidentally already taller than Tim), he had to at least see that.

Dick didn't argue though. "Something's definitely up. Usually Damien talks to me more."

Tim finally looked away at the cluster of shady businessmen and the father and son, in favor of taking a covert look at his companion. Dick did look bothered. He decided his point was made, and attempted to be more tactful. "Look, I'm sure he's okay. I just hope we're not here as distractions or cannon fodder so he can serve his own agenda."

Dick nodded, but his expression was vague. From that point on he was conversationally distant.

*******

The next night saw the Bat Family getting personally acquainted with the mountains of Lebanon. The country was pretty much one large mountain range, with settlements and farmland on whatever flat portions one could find, whatever the angle, with cities along the beaches.

Tim was not a fan. Searching the cliffs for whatever villainous headquarters Damian was looking for might take years, even with their gear.

"You know…I could give Superboy a call…maybe he could…could, I dunno, scan the mountains with his supervisions and find the place?"

"These people are aware enough of metas to have made use of lead shielding," Damian snapped. He wasn't even out of breath!

"Well what about speedsters?" Dick asked. "I'm sure Wally could at least shave some time off the mountain hike." Like a normal person, he was short of breath.

"We're not searching blindly. I know where I'm going," Damian said, in a somewhat more polite tone of voice.

"Oh," Dick and Tim said stupidly, because they'd had no idea Damian knew where the cult headquarters was. It was impossible to tell if this was news for Bruce or not; he didn't react in any visible way to Damian's revelation.

Tim shot Dick a significant look and motioned towards Bruce, who was silently trudging after his son. Dick shook his head, and Tim scowled.

He didn't trust the situation. He really didn't like that even Dick didn't seem to trust the situation (Dick being the one human being who'd managed to crack Damian's emotional armor and form a real friendship. The brat had respect for Batman, but his relationship with Dick was founded on actual feelings). Tim wanted to share his concerns with Bruce, and Dick thought it was a bad plan so he'd shot Tim down. So far Tim had kept most of his grumblings to himself.

This was too much though.

"Robin, it might be a good idea to let everyone know important details of your plan. Y'know, like what we're actually doing," He snapped.

Damian sneered at him. "I didn't bring you here to think, Red Robin. Just keep quiet and follow my lead."

"Hey, whoa, hey!" Dick cut in. "That was out of line Robin."

Damian whipped around and glared at Dick and Tim. "We're a little far into the progress of the mission for you to be questioning me, or for me to sugarcoat every little thing. Now, may we continue?"

Bruce tapped Damian's shoulder. "Nightwing's right. Watch how you address people who are here to help you."

"This a 'do as I say not as I do' parenting moment?" Dick joked.

Bruce was not amused. "You're on your own."

They finished the hike to the headquarters in relative silence. Tim had no idea how Damian had figured out where they were going or how to find the place; it was carved into the mountain so naturally that Tim didn't notice it was there until they were walking into a cave tunnel.

There were half a dozen guards stationed just inside, but four Bats was overkill for that.

Mostly, the complex appeared empty.

They passed through a tunnel blatantly hewn from the mountain, which gave way to a cold, modernist architectural style. At that point they bumped into the occasional guard, but every guard was alone and went down without any of them breaking a sweat. Tim was starting to wonder why Damian had chosen to bring him.

He was also wondering why he'd decided to go. These days Tim worked as a reserve crime fighter, and rarely suited up as Red Robin. He was supposed to be in his apartment, working on his masters thesis, preferably cozied up to Tam while she worked on her doctoral thesis. If he could go back in time a week, to when he'd agreed to the team up despite being told that Damian was doing the planning, and smack himself in the face, he would have.

When they got to the main chamber, Tim understood why Damian had brought him.

It was full to bursting with culties, and they were all armed with ritual daggers.

There was a brief moment of stunned shock when all of the cult members stared at the Bats, and then someone charged forward, and the rest followed until a mass of dagger wielding loons pressed in on them from all sides. Tim disarmed and incapacitated as many as possible, trying not to let thoughts of 'is this really necessary' distract him. It seemed to him that if Damian had let anybody else in on the plan, they might have come up with a better one between the four of them.

It took him a few minutes to notice Damian wasn't fighting. "He-hey!" Tim yelled, but Damian continued flipping and pushing through the crowd without disarming anyone.

Tim tried to follow what Damian was doing, but he was also fighting for his life and so unable to keep much of an eye on the obnoxious brat. He did notice though, when Damian vaulted over the heads of the culties, landed on their altar, and disappeared through the solid wall behind it that suddenly let off a burst of violet light. "Whoa! Did you guys...?"

He didn't finish the thought. Bruce had clearly seen what happened, because he was fighting his way to the altar more forcefully than ever, and woe to the cult member who stood in his way.

They managed to take down all the cult members, but it took time, and Damian was still missing. Bruce examined the wall and the altar, a look of cold focus on his face that only Dick and Tim (and Alfred, if he'd been there) could recognize for what it really was: fear.

Dick cautiously approached Bruce, trying to figure out how to lend him strength in a way he'd accept, while Tim started zip stripping the unconscious culties.

Then the wall started glowing again. Bruce and Dick took a step back, and the three of them stared at the wall. Bruce looked like he was about to spring into the wall when Damian stepped out of it and onto the altar.

He was carrying someone wrapped in his detached cape. Tim leaned around a pillar to get a better look at the prone figure. It looked like a young girl, maybe twelve or thirteen, with thick black hair and smooth skin. She was unconscious and naked save for the cape.

Dick seemed to recognize her at least, though his voice sounded unsure when he finally spoke. He was gaping at Damian in amazement. "Is that Lian Harper?"

Damian looked down at the girl's face, then faced Dick with eyes narrowed in determination. "She shouldn't have died. I fixed it." He hopped off the altar and started walking towards the exit. "We're finished here."

"What about the cult?" Tim asked. He toed one of the unconscious men with his boot.

"They're no longer important. I've achieved our objective, now let's go," Damian snapped.

Bruce strode across the room, grabbed Damian by the shoulder and forced him to turn around. "This is not how you treat your colleagues. You owe us an explanation."

Damian returned Bruce's look of steely determination with one of his own. "That may be so father, but I'd prefer to attend to Miss Harper first. I assure you, now that their ritual has been disrupted, the cult members are quite harmless. I took the liberty of sealing them off from the Lazarus pit before I emerged, so they are incapable of carrying out any of their objectives."

"There's a Lazarus pit here?" Tim exploded.

Damian regarded him with cool detachment. "Yes." He turned back to Bruce. "And I despoiled the pit, so that even if they do manage to find a way around my seal it won't do them any good. Now can any further explanations wait?"

"I suppose."

"Good," Dick interrupted. "Let's get to the plane and get back to the States. I gotta tell Roy about this. That's really her?"

"Of course it is. Everything went exactly as I planned it." Damian started walking towards the exit yet again, and the other crime fighters had no choice but to fall in step behind him.

"She was barely six when she died. Shouldn't she be younger?" Dick asked.

"Hey yeah. Every time I've seen someone get res'd, they've always been the same age they were when they died. Even when it takes awhile," Tim put in.

"I told you, Miss Harper's death was a tragedy that shouldn't have occurred. I fixed it. Had she lived, she would be twelve years old. As I've fixed things, she's twelve."

"Robin, that really doesn't explain anything," Dick said, trying to be gentle from the sounds of it.

"I don't know how else to put it."

"This appears to have been a magical resurrection as opposed to a scientific one Nightwing. I'd guess there are different rules," Bruce said, looking just as discomfited by the situation as the rest of them. "And Robin, we have to talk about expressions of grief. Stewing over a death for six years and quietly devoting that time to a resurrection is not psychologically healthy."

Tim managed to keep his skeptical outburst limited to a snort, but Dick, who had a more expressive personality and a different sort of relationship with Bruce, couldn't keep quiet after that. "Really Bruce? Really? You're going to talk down to him over unhealthy expressions of grief? When your grieving is the reason we're all wearing spandex and Kevlar right now?"

Once again, Bruce was not amused. "We're still in the field. Code names only."

"Just let this one go for now. I'll talk to him later," Dick said.

"He is standing right here, and I don't need a lecture or a misguided attempt at 'understanding'. I know what I did and why I did it. She shouldn't have died. I fixed it. Now can we all move on?" Damian ground out.

Lian remained unconscious for most of their walk through the base, but when they were within sight of the exit she began to stir. As one, the Bats came to a halt and Damian knelt, setting Lian's lower body on the ground. He tucked his cape more securely around the girl in defense of her modesty and watched her carefully. Slowly, her large green eyes opened.

For a moment she focused on Damian's face with a dreamlike smile, but then that passed and her eyes widened in terror. "What am I-where am-wh-what is…?" She pulled out of Damian's embrace and threw her hands up over her face, eyes scrunched tight with in expression of abject terror. And then she started screaming.

Damian watched, an expression somewhere between confusion and sorrow on his face. Dick stepped in, and grabbed the girl's shoulders, giving them a little shake. "Lian, calm down! You're okay now!"

She stopped screaming. "Uncle Dick? I thought you were Batman now. Wh-what's going on? Why am I…?" She looked at her hands in amazement. "My fingers got long." She began examining her body, feeling along her torso with her foreign, twelve year old hands. "I'm too big. What happened to me?"

"What do you remember last?" Dick asked.

Lian closed her eyes and concentrated. "Mia was babysitting me. We talked to Daddy. H-he was at the Watchtower so I had to say goodnight with the phone. Then when I went upstairs to brush my teeth the house started shaking. Everything started falling, and I got hit with something, and I was screaming and so was Mia. Then it went dark." She opened her eyes and looked at Dick in confusion. "What happened? Is everyone okay? Where's Mia? Why am I here and why am I big and why am I wearing a cape?"

"It's…a long story. Everyone's fine," Dick said. He paused, obviously trying to think of a way to gently break the truth to the girl.

Damian, as was his habit, put an end to that plan. "You just described the moments before your death. You're alive again, but some time passed. I brought you back."

Lian finally glanced past Dick to stare at Damian. "You got big too," She said in wonder. Then she looked at Bruce and finally at Tim. He met her gaze for a moment, but quickly turned to look at something, anything else. Her eyes looked haunted. He'd seen that sort of confusion and grief too often, and now that costuming wasn't a regular activity for him, he wasn't used to it anymore.

Finally, Lian turned back to Dick. "Where's my dad?"

"He's living in New York. We'll take you to him," Dick promised. Damian scowled at that, but he didn't have a chance to comment. Lian cut him off.

"No. I don't want to see Dad yet. First I want you guys to figure out if this is permanent or if I'm going to die again." She felt along her chest and shoulders with her hands once more, and then looked up at Dick. "This doesn't feel like my body. I want to know that it's real before we get Dad's hopes up. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he didn't take it very well when I died."

"No, h-he didn't," Dick murmured, and he couldn't hold Lian's gaze as he said it.

She nodded. "Well I don't want to put him through that again. You guys are geniuses. You gotta have a system for checking out this sort of thing."

Damian stepped forward and addressed her while taking a defiant stance. "Excuse me, but I calculated everything down to the last detail. You're fully alive, just as you would have been had Prometheus never made his attack. You'll notice too, that you have a twelve year old's mentality and intellect as opposed to a six year old. You're absolutely fine, and you can feel free to thank me at any moment."

Lian returned his defiant glare with an impressive one of her own. Even though she looked an awful lot like Cheshire, there was definitely some paternal resemblance when she looked that argumentative. "Thank you. But like I said, before we drag Daddy into this I want to know for sure." She turned around and regarded Bruce. "Are there tests you can run for this sort of thing?"

He nodded. "You're far from the first resurrection we've had."

"Alright, I'll hold off on calling Roy," Dick said. He turned to Damian and shrugged, but Damian ignored him, clearly in a pissy mood.

The atmosphere had become unbearably tense. Tim could not wait to be crammed into the tiny batplane with these people for the flight back to Gotham.

*******

Lian was sitting on a cold, metal counter in the Watchtower, wearing sweatshorts and an old t-shirt that didn't remotely fit her. She'd been prodded and watched by just about every spare super scientist or magician that could be called up to investigate, and so far Damian's account of things checked out.

She was back. It was her body, exactly as it would have been if she'd never been killed six years ago.

Zatanna seemed troubled by something though. Once she'd finished examining the tween, she approached Bruce and Damian, who were waiting in another room. "So Robin…how exactly did you learn how to do this? That was some pretty advanced magic."

After six years of crime fighting, during which Damian had presented a nearly flawless record full of achievements some of the older heroes only dreamed about, he'd also managed to pick up some sense of tact. He only felt the urge to roll his eyes, he didn't actually do it.

"I know the magic was advanced. It had to be," He said curtly.

Zatanna arched a brow and looked at him pointedly. "You didn't answer my question."

"Fine…" He didn't want to admit this in front of his father, but she wasn't really leaving him much choice. "I picked up a bit of occultism from the…the maternal side of the family."

"You mean Talia? You let Talia teach you sorcery?" Zatanna asked.

Bruce didn't look as surprised as might be expected. Then again, despite all Damian's achievements, surprising Batman was still something he was shooting for. "That explains the prominence of the Lazarus pit in the ritual."

Damian nodded. "And I spoiled the pit. The cult, and my mother and grandfather, won't ever be able to use it again. I promise you all, this was a win-win."

Zatanna shook her head. "I can't find any evidence, but something feels…off about this resurrection. It might just be some sort of contamination from whatever methods you picked up from your dear old mother. Efficacious though they may be Robin, I really don't recommend using magic you learned from her. Talia and her father can be somewhat short sighted when it comes to the consequences of magical acts."

"You think this bad feeling is residual contamination?" Bruce asked. "You're sure?"

"I think we should keep an eye on Lian Harper. I'm not sure of anything. But I think it's safe to call her father now," Zatanna said. "I did what you asked me to do. I've confirmed her identity. It's her, she's going to stay, and if your son requires anymore tutoring in the magical arts, please ask me. I'd be happy to help."

Bruce nodded, and Zatanna took that as a dismissal. She tipped her top hat and disappeared in a burst of smoke.

Damian waved his arm to dissipate the pungent puffs of smoke. "Her theatricality I could do without."

*******

Meanwhile, once she was free from her magical examinations, Lian started walking around the Watchtower, taking in differences. She found a room with a sofa, a refrigerator, a microwave, and a coffee machine, and went inside to investigate. There were framed pictures of different Justice League lineups along the wall. She started with the oldest and walked down the line, examining each photo and smiling when she saw her grandfather, and then Dinah, and finally her father.

The photo with her father in it must have been taken around the time she died, because he looked exactly as she remembered him. 'I wonder how different he looks now...' Feeling some excitement, she quickly scanned the other pictures, but Red Arrow wasn't in any of them.

Neither was her grandfather, or Dinah, or even Uncle Connor. Lian couldn't help but wonder if Dick had been lying when he'd said everyone was okay. Because six years of Justice League without a single member of her family in it didn't seem like a good sign.

She left the little break room and started wandering along the corridors of the Watchtower again, stopping when she saw Dick leaning on a railing gazing out a massive window at Earth. His expression looked troubled.

Lian walked up to him and leaned against the railing as well, but she watched him instead of the view of space. "Uncle Dick? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure thing sweetheart. What's up?" He turned to face her, quickly schooling his expression into something easy and pleasant.

And Lian felt a sensation in her stomach that she'd never felt as a six year old. It took her a minute to process that that was a twelve year old girl's response to having a very handsome man smile at you. 'Really? From Uncle Dick? God being older is weird.'

"I was just wondering something..." She mumbled. "You and Daddy...aren't, um, special friends anymore...are you?"

Dick turned back towards the window and shook his head. "We broke up a few years ago."

"Six years?" She guessed.

"I always knew you were going to be a smart kid."

Lian sighed. "It wasn't because of me, was it?"

"It wasn't just because of you. There was a lot going on. Don't worry though, your dad's doing fine now. He did have a hard time when you died, but he's really a lot better now. And he's going to be ecstatic to see you again, I promise."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that," She said with a small frown. "I'm just disappointed. I wanted Daddy to marry you or Auntie Donna. He kind of sucks at dating on his own, and I like it best when he's with one of you. He's not dating Auntie Donna again now, is he?"

Dick made a weird noise in his throat that was something like a squawk. She regarded him with some surprise, but patiently waited for an answer. "Um...your dad's single right now," He finally choked out.

"Oh. Drat. Would you consider dating him again? And maybe settling down at one point? I really don't mind the idea of having two dads at all." Again, she waited him out while he tried to figure out a response, looking more uncomfortable than she'd ever remembered seeing him.

This time, Dick was saved the necessity of answering by Damian stalking up to join them. Even in the absence of a charming smile directed at her, Lian felt the same whooshing sensation in her stomach when she looked at Damian's scowl, and she quickly glanced away as her face reddened.

"There you are. I've been looking everywhere," Damian said. "Zatanna gave us the okay ages ago now. I've been right all along, of course. She's really back."

Dick nodded. "I'll...I'll call Roy then." He looked uncomfortable again, like he wanted to say something but couldn't quite find the words. Instead of telling Lian whatever it was, Dick went off to make the call.

Lian pressed her lips together. "Should I be worried about something?"

"Possibly," Damian answered with his customary brutal honesty.

Lian glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. The boy was definitely cute, but a bit more of an asshole than she remembered. Had he always been that grumpy?

Well, grumpy or not, it didn't really matter. Cautiously, Lian reached over and took Damian's gloved hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thanks for bringing me back Damian. I know I wasn't really showing it earlier, but I am grateful."

When Damian turned to look at her, he had some of that 'little lost boy' look on his face that she remembered from the last time they'd spoken, back when they'd been playing with ponies. She smiled, face lighting up as she saw evidence of the playmate she remembered in the imposing teenager. He looked even more thrown by the smile, but weakly returned it. Lian leaned up on tip toe to kiss his cheek.

Her face felt warm. Lian was sure she was bright red, but it was some consolation that Damian's cheeks were a bit flushed too. Smiling again, she ran off to go wait for her father by the teleporters.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lian adjusts to being alive again. Roy wrestles with some fatherly paranoia.

Chapter Seven

THEN...

 

"Grayson, where have you been? We were supposed to leave for patrol over an hour ago. If any innocents have been maimed or killed in this time, it's your responsi..." Damian trailed off when he finally caught sight of Dick.

Dick was sitting in a corner of the Bunker with his knees pulled up, forehead resting against them. His shoulders were shaking, and Damian hoped to god the man wasn't actually crying. He'd have to retreat and bring in Pennyworth if that were the case. At the moment though, he had to concede that Dick had done an admirable job comforting him in the past (and Damian was aware that he hadn't made the task at all easy or pleasant). He felt the need to at least attempt reciprocation.

Damian hesitantly approached Dick and sat down next to him. "What's troubling you?"

Dick didn't look up. When he spoke, his voice was shaking. He probably was crying. Damian felt a strong urge to run away and get the butler, but he fought that urge and managed to stay put.

"We found Roy...I, I talked to him today."

"Oh." The last Damian had heard, Harper had fallen back into his addictions, gone off the grid, and joined up with a band of supervillains, including the one Dick had assaulted with an IV. Clearly the man didn't handle grief well.

"Er, how was he?" Damian winced. 'Really? That's all you can think to say?'

"High as a kite, delusional, aggressive...same as he was last time I tracked him down...I think he's sleeping with Cheshire again." Dick's tone was hollow, but his actual voice was ragged, hoarse.

Damian snapped his head around to stare at Dick, who was still curled in on himself. "But isn't that a betrayal of the arrangements you've made?"

Another tremble went through Dick's shoulders, but this might have been from bitter laughter instead of a sob. "We haven't really been dating for...for a few weeks now. We just never made it official."

"Well he still shouldn't move on to another partner if he's dating you, even if it's only nominal. Did you end your arrangement?"

Dick finally looked up and rubbed at his face with the heel of his hand. It was red and splotchy, but he wasn't actually crying. Damian breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Yeah...I didn't have much choice. I know I didn't, but I wish..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I wish he'd let me save him."

"You tried. He was too stupid to accept your help. Next time you pursue a romantic relationship, please consider my input more carefully. I did tell you that he was stubborn and that you could do better, if you'll recall."

Dick shook his head and let out a low chuckle. "Is this your first time trying to cheer someone up?"

Damian thought about it for a moment. "Other than the occasional frightened bystander, I think so. I'm not sure if I'm better at it with or without the mask obscuring my face. How am I performing?"

"You're actually not too bad at it."

Damian nodded, feeling a bit of awkwardness. "Does this mean you're ready to go out on patrol?"

"Yeah. I'm good. And I promise not to brood too much about Roy. Damian...thanks. You just helped me confirm that I made the right choice."

Damian watched as Dick got up and strode off to get his costume, feeling slightly puzzled. How had he done that? Feeling some impatience and annoyance, he wondered how long it was going to take him to get the hang of human emotions. Considering all the fighting styles he'd already mastered, he felt that he really should have had it down already.

NOW...

Lian was declared completely, competently resurrected at seven in the morning. The first time Dick called Roy, the phone rang for a few minutes and went to voicemail. This happened the second and third times as well, but by the fourth time he got a response.

"If the world's about to blow, you should really call my reserve communicator." He sounded groggy. Dick always forgot that Roy was one of those rare Costumes who usually got a healthy amount of sleep (a feat accomplished by seeing very little sunlight, and none of it in the morning).

"The world's fine, it's-"

"Then don't fucking call me this early!" Roy shouted before hanging up on him.

Sighing, Dick prepared himself for another four calls to voicemail, when his phone suddenly started ringing in his hand. "Hello?"

"Hey dude," Roy said, sounding slightly more alert and a tad hopeful. "You weren't calling for a hookup, were you?"

"No," Dick ground out.

"Oh." He sounded disappointed. "Well what's up?"

Dick had been mentally rehearsing this conversation for hours, pretty much since Damian had jumped out of the wall with Lian in his arms. In that time, he'd decided that there really wasn't a subtle lead-in for this bit of news, and so he just came out with it. "Lian was resurrected."

There was a long pause. Dick patiently waited for Roy to process what he'd said. When he spoke again, it was with a weak, hoarse voice. "M-my little girl? She's back?"

"Yeah. As of last night. We ran some tests first to confirm it before calling you. It's really her, and the res' is permanent."

"She...where is she? Where am I going? Because I'm going like right fucking now, so tell me where I'm going please. Th-this is real? It's real? My little girl's really okay?" His voice got louder and louder, verging on the hysterical.

Dick tried to imagine what Roy probably looked like right then; hopping around his bedroom in a state of undress, with really bad bedhead, shrieking in joy and likely pissing off his neighbors (Dick had been personally acquainted with a fussy old lady who lived upstairs from Roy: she was also the type to whack the floor with her broom). Dick was smiling so hard it hurt.

"She's not exactly your little girl anymore though-"

"Wait, what? What the hell does that mean?"

"Calm down! It's her, it's just...I don't really get how it works, but I guess she was res'd as though she'd never died."

Roy sounded hesitant. "So...what does that mean?"

"It means she's twelve, not six."

"O-oh. Okay. Okay, well, well good."

"Cool. I'll teleport you up."

"Wait," Roy said. "Just give me a minute. I need to find a shirt and-shit, that's not clean. Hold on dude, I can't really do this while I'm on the phone."

Dick was kind of surprised he'd even tried to dress himself: he was either attempting to use the stump to put on clothes, or he was using it to cradle the phone. "Fine. You've got three minutes."

"Kay."

Roy hung up, and Dick winced. He still hadn't told Lian about the missing arm. The poor girl was already so disoriented, but doing really well considering. He didn't want to upset her, but someone had to break it to her before Roy actually showed up.

Lian walked up to the teleporters with Damian following after her, looking surlier even than usual.

Well, the kid was pretty tactless. Maybe he'd broken it to her already? No, Damian's social taboos never made Dick's life easier.

Lian stopped in front of the teleporters and offered Dick a bright smile. "Is Daddy coming soon?"

"Yeah...hey, Lian, there's something you shoud..." Dick's voice faltered and slowly died. It would have been easier if she'd stop smiling at him like that. "Uh...your dad really missed you."

*******

Lian barely took in any details about her father when he was teleported into the Watchtower; she saw enough to confirm that it was him, and then she charged forward to give him a huge hug.

Roy started to call out her name, but the word turned into a sort of exclamation of emotion unrestrained by proper syllables. Her skinny arms wound around his neck, and he crushed her to him as best he could with his good arm and the stump.

Lian shrieked when she felt the stump graze her shoulder. "Daddy, w-what is...?" She pulled back and gingerly touched his empty sweartshirt sleeve. Roy glanced past her and sent a look Dick's way, which he didn't see because he was pointedly gazing out the window at Earth again.

"No one warned you, huh Peanut?" Roy asked, his question clearly directed more towards Dick than Lian. "I lost that arm awhile ago."

She pushed against the empty sleeve some more, eyes wide in wonder. "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore." He smiled, and pulled her into a one-armed hug. "I missed you so much Lian. I'm so glad you're back."

"I love you Daddy." She gave him a tight squeeze, trying not to think about all the horrible things that could have happened for him to get maimed like that. 'It's not important now,' she told herself.

When Roy finally let go, Lian clasped his hand in both hers, and they studied each other, taking in the changes. Lian was struck by how different her father looked. Even though he was beaming with happiness and love, the rush of new emotion wasn't enough to completely dispel the lingering evidence of long sadness; there were lines on his face that hadn't been there before, and his dark auburn hair had streaks grey. He was unshaven, he needed a haircut, and his clothes were wrinkled and scrubbby. Lian knew he was able to take better care of himself than that.

He still had the physique of a superhero though. Even the stump was pretty muscular. She took that as a good sign.

For his part, Roy's evaluation of his daughter with six additional years was more pleasant. She was a little short for twelve, but healthy looking and beautiful regardless. Mostly she looked like her mother, but her eyes looked more like his than he'd ever noticed before.

"Alright Peanut, what now? Do you need to do anything else up here or can I take you home?"

Dick stepped forward. "You sure that's a good idea Roy? You wanna go...right back to your place? I mean we're all set here, but..." Dick looked at him pointedly, and Roy's eyes widened with epiphany.

"Oh yeah. I should probably uh...clean up first. Hey Peanut, wanna visit Grandpa Ollie instead?"

"Sure." Lian waved at Dick and Damian, then seemed to think better of it, darted forward, and gave each of them a hug. Dick tousled her hair and murmured a quick "Welcome back," but Damian stiffened and looked away from her. Lian frowned at him, but she strode back to her father's side as though it hadn't bothered her. She waved again as they teleported away.

"What was that about?" Dick snapped.

"She was awfully dismissive of me. Why shouldn't I have responded in kind? I've been working on this resurrection for six years and I've barely gotten to see her."

"Well Damian, she's got family to see. They kinda take precedence right now."

"It doesn't matter. I don't care anymore anyway." Damian stalked off in an angry huff that completely contradicted his words.

"O-o-okay..."

*******

While Lian reacquainted herself with her family, Dick made his way to Roy's apartment in New York, armed with a bucket full of cleaning supplies and a mop. He was a bit surprised to find Donna waiting for him in the hallway, but figured she'd probably gotten some frantic texts from Roy similar to the ones he'd received, instructing him on what in the apartment to destroy before his daughter was allowed to see the place. Donna smiled at him and held out a tray of coffees.

"You don't have your own key?" Dick asked.

"Roy...doesn't invite me around that much. Not often enough to need a key, anyway. I was actually a little surprised he called me in for the emergency scrub down."

"Well you can fly. That's going to come in handy." Dick took his coffee, set down the bucket, and unlocked the door. "You sure you're prepared for this?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "I've seen how single guys live. I may have been raised on an island full of reclusive warrior women, but-Oh Hera that's a smell!"

Duck had flung open the front door. "Yeah...see, he was only ever as clean as he was for the sake of social services not taking Lian away. Now c'mon, we've got a lot to do."

Donna pulled her sweater up over her nose and tried not to gag. "Apparently I don't know how single men live." She turned a suspicious look to him.

"Alfred," Dick said, answering the silent question. He liked to think that without the butler's influence he still wouldn't live in a state of squalor similar to Roy's, but really Dick knew himself better than that.

Donna warily glanced around the room. "Should we just assume all the laundry's dirty?"

"Probably even the stuff hanging up in his closet. Wait! Don't go in his room. You're not allowed in there."

She laughed at that. "I've seen his bedroom before Dick. I know I don't have a reputation like yours, but I'm not celibate and Roy's...what?"

"Donna, look...he cleans for you when you come over. You think scented candles and fresh new sheets are standard for this guy?" He kicked an open pizza box towards her, and she stuffed it in a trash bag.

"Now I'm just curious. What is it he doesn't want me to see?"

"Mostly his porn. So, I'll sanitize the bedroom if you wanna start with the kitchen, and then we can meet back in the living room?"

"I guess that's fair...how did he get that on the ceiling?" She mumbled, gazing upwards in some confusion. Dick waved at her and disappeared into the bedroom. Donna flew up to the ceiling and investigated the peanut butter stain.

"Oh Hera, we're going to find lots of insects in this place, aren't we? Wait...I wonder what he meant by mostly porn..."

*******

Needless to say, between Dick's observation-born-of-paranoid-Bat-training and Donna's mother-hen nurturing instincts, by the time Roy brought Lian back to the apartment it was much closer to being the type of home she remembered than it had been. They didn't have any of her personal effects, and obviously she didn't have any clothes, but it was still good to be home (plus Grandpa Ollie had loaned her a credit card to fix all that up).

"I need to go food shopping, so we'll just order a pizza tonight. Wally's gonna run by with some of his daughter's old clothes. That should hold you over until we can get to the store-"

"Daddy, there's a dinner on the table."

Lian had wandered into the kitchen. Roy followed her in and gazed in some amazement at a dining table he didn't remember owning, neatly set for two. There was a covered casserole dish sitting in the center of the table.

"Oh. Donna made us baked macaroni and cheese. Well that's way better than pizza."

"Auntie Donna was here? Why didn't she stay?" Lian pouted.

"Uh..."

Before Roy could think of something to say, Lian noticed the seven jumbo sized trash bags sitting next to the garbage can. "Oh. She cleaned up for you, huh?"

"I...get a little messy on my own. You know that."

"Well, as long as she visits later, I guess I don't mind."

"Why don't you crack into that mac and cheese? I'll be right back."

Roy left her in the kitchen and did a quick survey of the apartment. Deciding that he had no qualms about leaving Lian to poke around in any of it, he returned to the kitchen and shared a nice meal with his daughter, something he'd only dreamed about ever being able to do again.

Lian carefully avoided all the questions Roy wasn't ready to answer, focusing instead on what the important people in their lives had been up to for the past six years ("Grandpa Ollie and Dinah are divorced? Well that stinks." "Don't worry sweetie, they both still love you. It doesn't change anything, really." "Yeah...it just stinks because Grandpa's never going to find anyone else to put up with him. He shoulda noticed that and treated Dinah like gold.")

He did notice that a lot of her questions came back to Dick and Damain, but dismissed it as natural. After all, they'd resurrected her (he wasn't yet aware that it was just Damian, or how significant the world's worst tempered sidekick was about to become in his life). It was completely normal for her to be interested in them.

She didn't ask a single awkward question until just before bed, when Roy was spreading out a blanket and pillow on the couch (Lian would get his bed for the time being).

"Daddy, why did you and Uncle Dick break up?"

Roy fumbled with the pillow he was holding and almost dropped it. "I...wasn't aware you'd noticed we were dating."

"I didn't know that's what it was when I was six, but I don't have a six year old's level of perception anymore. The more I think back on it...you really loved him, didn't you? What gives?"

Roy sat down heavily on the couch, and Lian curled up beside him.

"Look Peanut...a lot happened back then. I mean, losing you was more than enough to...well, it really hurt me. I loved Dick...and I kinda still do and probably always will, but all I could see then was my pain. It would have been ridiculously selfish of me to ask him to stay with me during that, and I didn't."

"But if he loved you back, shouldn't he have helped you?"

"He tried. I wouldn't let him."

"Well that's stupid. Why not?"

Roy sighed. "I don't know. I guess...I guess I wasn't ready to get better. When I was, he was there for me, and he helped me just like he always does, but we've just been friends." Well, friends with benefits, but he was not ready to get into that with her anytime soon.

"You should have let him help you," Lian said with a frown.

"It would have hurt him though, and I didn't want that. I didn't want to drag him through what I was feeling. He's...he's a really good person. He hurts when other people hurt, you know?"

"Still though, if you loved each other then you should have tried harder." The situation seemed perfectly clear to her, and Roy didn't want to destroy her illusions of true love conquering all just yet.

"You're probably right. We could have tried harder. I just didn't want to risk hurting him by staying with him, and I promise, we're still really good friends. Dick's always going to be in our lives. Is that good enough?"

Lian scowled. "When I was six, Grandpa Ollie had just married the coolest step-Grandmother ever, and you were dating my favorite fake-uncle. You guys just fell apart without me, huh?"

Roy smiled grimly. "You have no idea sweetie."

"Well, don't expect me to fix everything now that I'm back. You guys do need to learn how to take care of yourselves eventually. Course, if you do wanna invite Uncle Dick and Damian over for dinner, I think that's a good start."

Roy eyed her with some curiosity, and she turned a bit red. "Peanut...?"

"G'night Daddy." She darted forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then retreated for the bedroom.

"Night Lian."

********

Lian ended up benefitting greatly from years of spontaneous resurrections. By this point there was a strong system in place, up to and including cancelling her certificate of death at City Hall. It turned out she wasn't even the first civilian from the tragedy at Star City to gain a resurrection, though none of the other half dozen people were connected to the superhero community (and as far as the public record went, she wasn't either).

After a couple months, the Harpers had some semblance of a normal life put back together. Roy moved into a bigger apartment out in the suburbs, and Lian slowly acquainted herself with the time she missed and got used to being twelve. She had a few sleepovers at Wally's house and began rebuilding her friendship with Irey, who didn't seem at all thrown by the death and resurrection, though Jai occasionally asked her uncomfortable questions about what death felt like when his parents were out of earshot.

She didn't hear from Damian again, which bothered her to no end, but she wouldn't admit it.

They reached a snag when the subject of school came up.

"Are you sure you're ready to just jump right back into public schooling?" Roy asked for possibly the billionth time.

"Yep," Lian answered. She was sitting in her new bedroom with a stack of fashion magazines, half her new wardrobe spread out on her bed, contemplating potential outfits. "How else am I going to adjust to a new age and time period without diving right in? Hey Daddy, do people really walk around without pants now?" She held up what to her looked like a long shirt, but was apparently arguably a dress, and a pair of thin leggings. She'd seen superheroes do it plenty, but it still didn't feel right to her somehow.

"...no," Roy lied. At any rate, his twelve year old daughter didn't walk around without pants.

"I didn't think so, but it's in the magazines. Will I look weird if I wear this?" She held up a pair of skinny jeans and a Wonder Woman t-shirt.

"Looks fine to me. Look, I'm just saying, I know your education is really important, but you missed a lot. You don't have to start right with seventh grade. You're coming into the middle of the school year, and you won't know anyone there. I could homeschool you for a little while first, and we could get you a tutor-"

"Dad, how am I going to ever know anyone at the school if I don't go to it and meet people myself?"

Roy watched her continue to fuss with the clothes, glad she wasn't showing signs of anxiety or trauma from what had happened to her, but feeling plenty of anxiety and trauma himself. She'd barely been out of his sight since she'd come back to life, and he sincerely did not like the idea of letting her wander off amongst strangers five days a week.

But Lian's arguments were ultimately much more convincing than his paranoia, and he did want her to have as normal a life as was possible. So Lian started school, and even though the Middle School was only up the street from their new house, Roy drove her to and from school, and accompanied her inside the first day.

"Dad, I don't think I'm going to get lost," Lian mumbled, feeling some embarassment. A lot of the kids milling around the building stopped to stare at them as they walked past, including a group of girls wearing leggings instead of pants (she should have known her dad had lied about that). She couldn't help but notice that no one else had a paranoid looking adult following them like a body guard.

"Sorry Peanut, but it's just for today. I've gotta go and talk to the principal again."

"Oh." Well that made sense. The administrative offices were on the third floor, and for the entire walk up to them, kids kept staring at Lian and her father. At one point a particularly dazed looking girl walked into an open locker door and dropped all her books.

Something finally occurred to Lian. They probably weren't gaping because she was being chaperoned. They were probably staring at her dad's missing arm. She tightened her grip on her backpack and scowled, trying to will her anger away. It didn't even look that bad! He had the shirt sleeve pinned up with safety pins and everything. 'If anyone makes fun of my dad for having a missing arm, I'm going to punch them in the throat.'

Roy had some paperwork that needed to be filled out for enrolling a student who had previously been deceased. Lian was the first student to attend that particular school under those circumstances, so the papers hadn't been on hand earlier in the week(they'd had to fax them over from a larger school in Metropolis). Lian waited while Roy completed the forms, the principal went over some basic school rules and promised to accomodate Lian and her "special circumstances", and then she was finally given her class schedule and assigned a locker.

She still had ten minutes before her first class, so she walked with her dad back to the front entrance. "So...you're really ready for this Li?"

"Course I am Daddy." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "It's not like I'm joining the Teen Titans or something. It's just middle school."

"Yeah, well personally I think the Titans were easier. I'll pick you up right at two thirty, so don't even think about walking home. And if you get out earlier for any reason, call me."

Lian rolled her eyes. She'd been equipped with a cellphone and a League communicator, which she considered overkill. "I promise Daddy." She gave him a big hug, and watched him reluctantly walk away.

Then she heard someone nearby whisper to a friend about the hot guy with the nice ass who was heading out to the parking lot. Suddenly all the staring made sense (she hadn't noticed before, but it had been mostly female students).

Lian groaned, and decided she would have preferred it if her new classmates had been staring at her dad because of the missing arm.

********

Finding out she had a Dad-I'd-Like-to-Fuck turned out to be the most traumatic thing that happened to Lian on her first week of school. It was traumatic enough for her tastes though, and she began adopting strategies to deal with the unpleasant discovery. First on the agenda was to get her dad to stop driving her to and from school.

They only lived up the street from the school, so it was wasteful to begin with, and she didn't want him to notice the eighth graders who'd timed their schedules to ogle him in the parking lot.

Lian was a daddy's girl, and had a lot of charming illusions about the man, but she was aware of his vanity and ego. If he noticed that girls were checking him out, even if they were only preteens and teenagers, he'd encourage the behavior.

Roy's new stalkers also made it difficult for Lian to befriend her schoolmates. Twice she'd thought she was making a real friend, only to discover that the girl was just trying to get invited to her house. One of them was even brazen enough to ask if Lian had pictures of her dad in her cellphone ("And if you don't, could you take some and send them to me? I'll be your bestie for life!"). It took her a few tries, but she finally bonded with a brother and sister who lived in her neighborhood, and happened to walk by the Harper residence on their way to school every morning.

"Please-please-please just let me walk to school with Cameron and Emma? Come on Daddy, I'll still have my phone and my JL comm with me, and it only takes like ten minutes to walk to school. Ple-e-e-a-se?"

"Lian, I gave you my answer this morning, and again this afternoon when I picked you up, and at least fifteen more times between now and then. I'm just not comfortable with you walking to school by yourself. Come on Peanut, we know I'm barely even comfortable with you going to school."

Lian flopped down at the dinner table with her arms crossed, a look of dramatic twelve-year-old misery on her pretty face. "You know, supervillains aren't actually lurking around every corner waiting to strike. And even if they were, they wouldn't know to strike me. No one knows I was res'd."

Roy went back to stirring the pasta he was making, turning his back to her as well. "Last time the supervillain wasn't targeting you. It just happened."

"Right, because it could happen anywhere at any time to anyone!" Lian exploded.

"And that scares me!" Roy yelled. He turned off the burner with a shaky hand. "I wasn't there last time. If anything happens..."

Lian ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, crushing her face to his back. "I'm sorry Daddy, it's okay. Y-you can keep driving me to school."

Roy took a deep breath, calmly pried her fingers apart, and stepped out of the clinging hug. "So we're going to let my fear control your second chance at life?"

Lian eyed him fearfully. "Uh...you'll get over it by the time I'm old enough to drive, right?"

"Not at this rate. Let's figure out a compromise. Would it be okay if you didn't walk to school every day? Then I'll only have maybe two or three days a week where I'm creepily staring out the window for you shitting bricks?"

"Dad!" Lian rolled her eyes. "I promise, I can really and truly walk to and from school without inviting disaster."

"And I believe you Peanut. It's my stupid paranoid gut instinct that won't listen. So...compromise?"

She scowled. "Fine, if it's the best I can get. Can I walk with them tomorrow?"

Roy winced. "You really gotta start right away?"

"Daddy, I think you're letting your fear control my second chance at life..."

"I'm really going to regret saying that, aren't I?" He asked.

"Oh yeah."

"Fine, you can walk tomorrow. But make sure you remember your phone! And your comm!" He had to yell the last bit up the stairs since she was already on her way to her bedroom to call her friends.

She rolled her eyes, but dutifully put the JL communicator in the front pocket of her backpack, not expecting in the least how soon she would need to use it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheshire visits her daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties with my re-telling of the events after Lian's birth. Though it doesn't confirm as perfectly with Wolfman's comics as I would like, the gist is the same. Also, my characterization of Cheshire is almost entirely informed by Gail Simone.

Chapter Eight

ABOUT TWELVE YEARS AGO...

Dinah's phone was ringing. It was obnoxiously late, even given masked vigilante hours. She flung her arm out and groped sightlessly across the surface of her nightstand, getting her hand first on her JL comm and beeper before she managed to find the cordless phone.

"H-hello?"

"Dinah for the love of God do not hang up the phone! I need help, and everyone else keeps hanging up on me because I guess it's early in the States, but it's not here and that doesn't matter anyway!"

"Roy?" Dinah bolted up in bed, suddenly much more awake. She hadn't heard from the kid in weeks, which was unusual. They'd been close for years, but ever since Ollie's death they'd become, for all intents and purposes, family. Dinah wasn't sure how she'd have gotten through her own grief (muddled with much more complicated emotions) without Ollie's ward and ex-sidekick to be strong for.

She threw her legs over the side of the bed and rose to her feet, already scanning the room for the pieces of her costume currently strewn over myriad surfaces. "Honey, calm down and breathe. What's going on? I'll help you, but you gotta talk to me."

"O-okay." Roy stopped and took a deep breath. When he spoke, he sounded slightly less hysterical. "I need you to walk me through changing a diaper."

Dinah sat back down on the bed and took her own calming breath. "A diaper? Any particular reason?" Then the baby started crying. She pulled the phone away from her ear and blinked a few times. There was some shifting around on Roy's side, and when she was able to hear him over the screaming baby she put the phone back to her ear. "Why do you have a baby with you?"

"I don't have the time to get into this now! Our plane's gonna leave, but I really need to change this thing and I don't know what to do! There're all these powders and lotions and she's screaming and people are staring at me-"

"Roy, I'm losing you! Deep breaths! C'mon sweetie, I'll talk you through this. Take out the new diaper before you do anything to the one the baby's wearing."

"Uh...too late. Oh gross, she put her foot in it!"

"Yeah, they do that." Dinah pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Eugh! It ran all down her back. Oh fuck she stinks! Ew-ew-ew!"

"Roy, I'd really appreciate it if you told me why you had a baby and why you're about to board a plane."

"Hold on a sec Dinah."

Dinah pressed her ear to the phone so hard it hurt, but she was able to make out Roy's hurried conversation with a woman who was not speaking English. She waited for some hints, hoping she could figure out where in the world the kid was. 'That's Mandarin...he's in China?' Roy may not have understood what the woman said, but Dinah sure as hell did. Sounded like an experienced Mommy taking pity on a confused looking young foreigner with a screaming child. She kept telling Roy how beautiful his little girl was.

Dinah told him how to say thank you in Mandarin, and he butchered it, but the meaning still came across. She snickered when the woman called him an adorable simpleton before rushing off. "Alright Roy, now why are you in China? I assume that's where you are anyway."

"Sorry Dinah, gotta go. Our plane's starting to board."

"Roy-wait-don't-hang-" Click. "Up. Urgh...and he thinks Ollie was exaggerating when he blamed ulcers on him."

*******

The plane ride from China to New York was one of the worst experiences of Roy's life to that point, and considering the life he'd lead he felt that that was quite the trophy statement. The person with the baby was never the most popular person on a plane, but this was even moreso when the baby spent most of the trip screaming her lungs out while the father watched, too terrified to touch the child (Lian was strapped securely into her carseat; Roy paid for an extra seat rather than carry her on his lap. He didn't trust himself to hold the baby for the duration of the trip).

He alternated between watching her helplessly, with no idea what she wanted, and obsessively checking the schedule Jade had written out for him. Lian screamed herself to exhaustion about halfway through the flight and dropped into a bitter looking sleep. Roy was transfixed by the slumbering baby, thoughts brooding on the past few days.

Finding out about his daughter had been the shock of a lifetime. Roy still hadn't fully processed that he'd helped create another life; he was mostly moving on autopilot. He'd tracked Jade down after she announced her bombshell because it was the right thing to do, and he'd taken Lian with him because that was also the right thing to do. Jade had enemies: significant enemies. They both knew that. Lian would be safer with him.

And yet...

There had been a moment, not a partiuclarly long one, but a moment all the same where he'd thought Jade might come with him. He'd offered. Roy was willing to use any and all connections he had to give Jade a fresh start. She could reform, maybe become a superhero even, and they could get a nice little house together and raise Lian and be a family. He wanted that.

But apparently she didn't, which was really unfair because she knew how to take care of a baby. She'd been doing it for four months already, and Lian was perfectly healthy and happy in Jade's care. Roy might not have little Inigo Montoyas knocking on his door on a regular basis trying to avenge slain family the way Jade did, but he honestly wasn't sure he was up to the challenge of raising a child alone. Lian might have been better off with the violent-but-responsible paid assassin.

When he got back to New York Roy took a cab to Titans Tower. He couldn't really think of anywhere else to go. He'd been renting a studio, but he'd sold most of his belongings and skipped out on the place without paying the last month's rent for the sake of the trip to China. It's not like he could keep living there with a baby anyway.

Lian was screaming again by the time he walked up to the Tower. He was mostly immune to the sound of her cries at this point, but he figured he was probably presenting a pathetic sight when Donna flew down from a top level of the building to land in front of him. She crossed her arms over her ample bosom and glared at him.

"Where the hell have you been? I left you in the sickroom for fifteen minutes! You'd just been poisoned-you were supposed to be in bed for another week, at least! I thought you were going to die!" She yelled.

Roy set the carseat and thus his screaming daughter down, and turned his deadened gaze on his exgirlfriend, the current active leader of the Titans while Dick was off doing a solo case.

He had indeed been recovering from a severe poisoning the last time Donna had seen him. Jade had raked him with her claws shortly after informing him that he had a daughter, and he'd woken up two weeks later in Titans Tower to Donna nursing him, looking much more concerned than she should have been about her ex considering her current marital status. He hadn't told her about Lian, but the first chance he'd gotten he'd left the Tower to track Jade down. That had been over a month ago.

There was a good chance Donna Troy was going to murder him.

Roy didn't have anything to say in defense of himself, so he didn't bother. "If you're going to kill me, could you just get it over with? I'm too tired for this." He motioned towards the screaming baby. "She didn't like the flight. She's been doing this all damn day."

"Roy...why do you have a baby?"

"Why do you think?" He snapped, embodying the height of petulance.

"I don't know why you have a baby! Why would any woman in her right mind give you a-CHESHIRE! Oh Hera. Oh Hera, Persephone, Athena and let's just throw in the entire Pantheon while we're at it-it even looks like her! You had a baby with Cheshire?"

"It wasn't on purpose," Roy groaned. Donna backhanded him and he collapsed to the ground from the unexpected hit. "Ow..."

"You stupid son of a bitch! How could you make a baby with Cheshire?"

"I'm kind of surprised you made one with Mr. Ginger Afro Clown," Roy snapped back. "Can we finish this inside? I want to figure out why she's crying so I can make her stop."

Donna crouched over the carseat and examined the baby. Lian stopped crying for a moment and looked up at Donna with wide, innocent looking eyes. "Oh she's cute. I think she's got your eyes. What's her name?" Donna asked.

"Lian."

"Hello Lian." Donna started unbuckling her, and Roy darted forward. She eyed him quizzically. "How long has she been in the carseat?"

"I...changed her when we got to New York. So...only like an hour."

"An hour? How long before that?" Donna asked, looking pissy again. Roy didn't answer. "Oh for the love of..." She unceremoniously pulled Lian out of the seat, and Roy felt his stomach do flip flops. But Lian smiled when Donna held her, and giggled when Donna tickled her.

"Huh."

"You're an idiot Roy. She was lonely and bored, that's why she was screaming. Honestly." Rolling her eyes, Donna flew back to the Tower still holding the laughing little girl.

"Hey! HEY! KIDNAPPER!" Roy grabbed their things and raced into Titans Tower after them.

NOW...

"Is that your dad texting you again?" Cameron asked, leaning over Lian's shoulder to look at her phone.

"Yeah. I wasn't kidding when I said he worries a lot," Lian answered distantly.

"The guy did stand in the front yard and watch us until we were out of sight," Emma reminded them. She looked amused. "In a bathrobe and boxer shorts. If the skanks from lunch knew that, betcha anything we'd have a mob walking home with us everyday."

Lian looked up from her texting and fake-gagged at her friend. "Can you not?"

"Sorry, I just think it's funny," Emma said. "I mean, Hailey Mathers actually asked you to hit on your own dad for her. Sometimes I worry a little about the kids at our school."

"Only sometimes?" Cameron teased.

Lian looked back at her phone and laughed. "Daddy's running down to the store. He was halfway through making dinner before he realized our eggs were bad. Is it cool if I go with you guys to your house? He doesn't want me hanging out at our place alone."

Cameron gaped at her while Emma quickly assured her it was okay. "Is he for real? What does he think is going to happen to you? Ow!" Emma had violently whapped her brother's arm.

"It's okay, I don't care if we talk about it," Lian said with a sigh.

"Talk about what?"

"You're sure Li?" Emma watched for her nod, then turned to her brother with a look of exasperation. "Don't you remember the homeroom teachers telling us that a resurrected kid was going to start at school with us?"

"Yeah...oh. Lian, you're the resurrected kid?"

"Yep. I died in the big tragedy in Star City. That's why my dad's so crazy. He's afraid of it happening again," Lian explained.

"Well that's fair," Cameron said with a nod. "Sorry if I was being insensitive or whatever. I promise not to pick on your dad."

"Thanks." Lian smiled at her new friends, grateful they were being so understanding. Roy had unknowingly relocated the two of them to a small, insular community that was rife with cliques. Lian had grown up hopping from major metropolis to major metropolis, and she was having a hard time fitting in with her orderly, gossipy suburban neighbors. Emma and Cameron were proving to be welcome exceptions to the rule with their open friendliness.

She was about to share something of her thoughts when Cameron suddenly dropped to his knees and started convulsing. "Cam!" Emma shrieked. She grabbed his shoulders, staring at her brother in wide eyed panic, when a dart suddenly hit the back of her neck, and she started convulsing and twitching too. Lian screamed and watched in helpless horror as her friends writhed and then stilled.

It happened in less than a minute.

"C-Cameron? Emma?" Eyes welling with tears, Lian crouched next to the unconscious children and felt along Emma's neck for a pulse. She couldn't find one. "Oh my God. Oh my God! Emma wake up!"

"It was painless darling, I promise."

Lian pried her eyes from her lifeless friend and looked towards the sound of the voice. Her eyes widened in shock.

A very pretty woman with long, silky black hair had just stepped out from behind a neighbor's hedge. She was holding a blowgun in one hand. Lian stared first at the blow gun, then at the strong looking hands with the sharp, dagger like finger nails. Then her eyes traveled up the green clad form to the hard green eyes, similar in shape to her own but different in size and color.

"M-mom?"

*******

"For the record Grayson, you were supposed to be here almost an hour ago."

"Yeah, how 'bout that? Look, I'm sorry. I got a little busy. I'll be up as soon as I can, okay?"

Damian rolled his eyes and leaned back into a cushy leather office chair. He'd made plans to train with Nightwing at the Watchtower ages ago, and was sincerely regretting it. The man was habitually late, and where Damian was obsessively punctual this meant they never arrived anywhere at even remotely the same time. Damian had been waiting for Dick at the Watchtower for so long that he'd been assigned a shift of monitor duty against his will (however, one didn't just say no to Superman, especially when he said he was going to keep his widowed mother company while she watcehed Wheel of Fortune).

"I know we get sidetracked by unexpected criminal activity, but the intelligent thing to do would be to plan for these things to happen and insert some extra space in your schedule," Damian snapped.

"Well I'll be sure to do that next time."

"No you won't."

"You're right, I won't. Give me like another ten minutes, okay?"

Damian scowled. "Ten minutes more and then I'm leaving." He ended the call and set his comm back on the monitor, then irritably waited for something to happen. When he became an official member of the Justice League, he planned on restructuring things significantly. It just didn't seem efficient to have useful members of the team waste their energy with monitor duty.

Perhaps they could hire Red Robin to do it...

"Hello? Is anyone there? Please someone pick up!"

Damian jumped forward and snatched the comm device. "Miss Harper? This is Robin. What's wrong?"

"I-I was walkinghomefromschool and-and-my friends got killed. I'm under attack, please, I need help." She was speaking in a terrified sounding whisper. Damian was already running towards the teleporters.

"Do you know who your assailant is?"

"It's my Mom!" She wailed, and then she was inaudible for her crying.

Damian put out a call to the speedsters. The Keystone Flash's comm responded almost immediately. "I'm sending you the location of Lian Harper. Get there and cover her immediately."

"Uh...my dad's not home right now," Irey West answered. "But I got it! Impulse out."

Damian was grinding his teeth so hard he thought he might break them. "The idea behind having a special line for the speedsters is so that we can call them in an emergency. It would be helpful if West would carry his own comm device from now on!"

He teleported to Earth more than ready to kick some ass.

*******

"Lian, come out and talk to me Sunshine. I don't mean to frighten you," Cheshire called.

Lian stayed where she was. She'd hidden herself in one of the neighbors' bushes, and she was hugging her knees, trying to keep as still and quiet as she could while sobbing her eyes out.

Her mother had just killed her only friends from school. It didn't make any sense.

Then again, she didn't really know much about her mother. She'd had visits with Jade back before she'd died, but now that she thought about it, there was something really odd about those visits. When she was little, she'd told herself that her mother was an alien princess, just like Starfire, and that evil peolpe had taken her prisoner too, but she'd escaped. And since she couldn't handle living out in the open on Earth, she'd had to live in a special hospital to keep her safe.

But it hadn't been a hospital. It was a jail. Lian saw that clearly, and felt an unfamiliar flare of anger towards her father. She'd babbled the alien princess story at Roy more than once when she was little. Why hadn't he told her the truth? Her beautiful mother, whom she'd loved and taken pride in looking so similar to, was a murderer. And now she wanted to murder Lian too.

"Sweetheart, this is all very complicated, but I promise you, I have your best interests at heart," Cheshire said. Lian hugged herself tighter and tried not to breathe, very much doubting the truth of that statement. "Your father sent me a message to tell me you'd been resurrected. It was quite a shock darling. We both grieved so hard for you when you died...I think it was the hardest experience we ever shared."

Lian felt her breath hitch and quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. Her dad betrayed her like that? Not only had he never told Lian the truth about her mother, he'd spent time with the murderous psychopath and told her Lian was back? Had he told Cheshire where to find her too?

Was Roy the reason her friends were dead, and that she was about to join them?

"I thought to myself, 'I can't let that happen again'. You weren't around to see it last time darling, but your father and I, we won't survive if we have to lose you like that again. I can't take that chance. So let me help you back to rest. I'm an expert at this sort of thing, and I swear to you, I'll do it properly. You won't feel a thing. Lian, dearest darling, you deserve to go to rest in the arms of a loving parent."

As Jade spoke, she inched nearer and nearer to Lian's hiding spot. Lian could see high heeled green boots less than six inches away from her from between the branches of the bush. Her mother would find her any second. Where was the help she'd called for?

Then Cheshire was hit with a blur of reddish movement that sent her sprawling across the yard. "Oof!" Impulse went down with her, but was back on her feet in the blink of an eye. She ran into the bush, grabbed Lian's arm, and tugged her over to the sidewalk.

"HILIANROBIN'SONHISWAYSODON'TWORRYWE'REHERETOHELPYOUHI!" Impulse yelled, clearly in the throes of a Speed Force boosted adrenaline rush. Lian gaped at her and willed herself not to cry.

Cheshire jumped to her feet and charged at them with her poisoned fingernails held high. Impulse easily pulled Lian out of the way. Lian's stomach dropped to her knees when she heard Irey's next comment. "Wowshe'sfast!" That was definitely not a good thing for a speedster to say about a psycho killer.

Jade raised her hand to lunge at them again, when another figure jumped into the fight. Damian's bright green boot made contact with Jade's raised nails, neatly shattering them. A downswung batarang took out all but the thumb on her other hand.

Cheshire howled in pain and rage, and Damian leapt away from her with more batarangs at the ready. "Impulse, take her to safety!"

"I don't think I'm supposed to leave you alone with her!" Impulse shouted, sounding highly reluctant to move.

"That was an order! Get Lian to safety or you will regret it!"

"Kaygotitgood!" Impulse threw Lian over her shoulder, and then the world was moving too fast for her to make sense of anything. When it stopped, they were standing in a completely different neighborhood. Lian fell to her knees and threw up as soon as Irey set her back on the ground. "Oops. I think I went a little too fast. Are you okay Lian?"

"No," She groaned. "Nothing's okay. What just happened? Where are we?"

"My house. I figured it was safe. Uh...yeah, that's probably why you're sick. Since I just dragged you to Kansas in under a minute. C'mon, I gotta get you inside so I can go help Robin." She hauled Lian to her feet and pulled her towards the front door.

Impulse threw the door open, poked her head inside and swore under her breath when she found an empty living room. "MOM!"

"In the kitchen, and you can come in here if you want to talk to me!" Linda yelled back.

"I don't have time!" Irey called. "I brought Lian Harper here since her mom flipped out and tried to kill her! Now Robin's fighting her all alone, so I gotta go be backup! Bye!"

Irey took off in a dizzying burst of movement. The force of it left Lian sprawled on the living room floor.

Linda Park-West raced into the room, face pale with terror. "Iris West get back-dammit! She's already gone? WALLY!" Linda turned to yell up the stairs. "WALLY! Your daughter just said she's running off to fight a poison drenched psychopath!"

"Hearditonmywaybye!" The Flash raced through the room, moving just as fast as his daughter had been.

Lian stared after the departing blur with wide, frightened green eyes. "P-poisoned drenched psychopath? Did everyone know but me? Oh my God!" She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing.

Linda ran forward and pulled the frightened girl into a hug, stomach churning with guilt.

*******

Meanwhile, Damian was having one hell of a hand-to-hand battle with Cheshire. She was at least as fast as he was, and her knowledge of fighting rivaled his own (not that he would admit it aloud). There was a chance they were equally matched, which was a first for him.

Cheshire deflected his blows and returned them with a zeal he rarely encountered. She seemed to appreciate a challenging opponent, however as her banter informed him, now wasn't the most opportune time.

"This is exciting. You live up to your reputation Robin. I'd heard you weren't as...as soft as the other Bats!" She had to duck suddenly to avoid a boot to the face. Unfortunately, she recovered her footing in half the time of a normal person, and the move didn't have the desired effect of getting her off balance. Damian mentally prepared another round of blows and began again.

"Much as I'm enjoying this," Cheshire purred. "I actually am quite busy at the moment. Perhaps another time?"

Damian managed to grab her wrist. He wrenched it towards him, pulling her off her balance, and squeezed hard. "There won't be another time. You'll never see daylight again," He growled.

Cheshire laughed, which hadn't been at all what he was going for. "Are you going to kill me little man? Hm?"

"You talk more than Red Arrow. I'm beginning to see how you complimented each other." He threw her into a toolshed, and cursed when she got back on her feet, apparently unphased by the blow.

"You seem to have taken an awful lot of interest in my pretty little daughter," Cheshire observed as she lunged for another strike. "Perhaps you'll understand why I couldn't just leave her in Red Arrow's care. Look what happened last time."

Damian avoided her blows and moved to swipe her feet out from under her. She anticipated the attack and easily avoided it.

"She's not just in his care!" Damian returned. He planted a kick in her stomach that knocked the wind out of her, grabbed her by the throat, and shoved her into a nearby wall. "If you ever go after her again, I will break my vow to my father and kill you myself," He threatened in a low voice. "Parents are supposed to take care of their children."

"I am looking after her. In the only way that counts," Cheshire choked out around his grip. Damian squeezed harder.

"You disgust me."

Impulse was anxiously watching the fight from the next yard, chewing on her fingers and trying to figure out what to do. Her father stopped short just next to her and grabbed her shoulder. "What the hell are you doing running out here on your own?"

"I'm not on my own Daddy! Robin's fighting Cheshire, but they've been moving so fast and controlled that I don't know what to do! She's, like, covered in poison. You're not supposed to touch her, right? I don't know how to help! What if I get Robin killed by accident?"

Wally watched Damian slam her into the side of a house by the throat again, and ceded his daughter a point. Still, Cheshire was one of the most dangerous, volatile opponents he'd ever fought. He couldn't just watch Damian spar with her. If anything did happen to Robin, Bruce would end him.

But he didn't know what to do either.

Then Cheshire swiped Damian across the cheek with her one remaining thumbnail. Impulse and Flash gasped, but Damian didn't flinch. Other than the blood that trickled down his cheek, there was no sign he'd been attacked.

Cheshire's eyes widened, and for the first time she started to look frightened.

"The house of Ra's al-Ghul has some familiarity with poisons," Damian informed her in a low, menacing tone. "I should be immune to all of your tricks."

Wally and Irey took a few cautious steps forward.

"That...may be a problem for me," Cheshire admitted.

Damian narrowed his eyes. "You can worry about it in a cell in the Watchtower, where we'll keep you for eternity."

"No, I don't think so," Cheshire responded. She moved so suddenly that she managed to break his grip, then she spit two quick bursts of liquid, the first hitting Wally in the face, the second planting in Irey's. The speedsters dropped to the ground and started writhing. "You may be immune to poisons, but it doesn't look like the Flash family can say the same. Are you going to help them, or continue sparring with me?"

Damian turned his fiercest glare yet on her. "I hate you more than my own mother."

"I'm highly flattered. Until we meet again Robin." She ran off. Damian didn't care to look where she went, keeping his focus on the speedsters.

"Watchtower, teleport three to medbay."

*******

Cheshire stumbled up the street, cursing under her breath as she clutched at her bruised (possibly broken) ribs. She'd heard that Robin could fight, but hearing it and seeing it were two completely different things. 'I wonder where Lady Shiva's ranked that vicious bastard?' He had to be somewhere on her list of deadliest living fighters.

A van pulled up alongside her, and when the tinted window rolled down she was faced with a bubbly blond. Cheshire snarled at her as the woman squeaked out a cheerful greeting.

"Heya Chesh! How'd the mommy-daughter bonding go?"

"Just help me into the car Quinn."

"Sure thing!" Harley Quinn jumped out of the passenger side, opened the van's sliding door, and helped Cheshire onto a mat in the back. She then hopped over into the front, and the driver pulled back into traffic.

Cheshire carefully prodded her torso. "That beast broke three of my ribs!"

"You shouldn't call your kid a beast! It ain't nice!"

"I seriously doubt she's talking about her own child Harl," Poison Ivy said, smirk evident from her tone though Cheshire coudn't see her to confirm it. Ivy repositioned the rearview mirror so that she could see the back of the van from the driver's seat. "Talk to us Jade. We're curious girls. Who managed to get a hit on you?"

"Robin. Incidentally, you were right about him."

"Told ya so!"

"Shut up Harl. Well darling, did you at least confirm what you wanted to know?" Ivy asked.

"Yes...as long as that boy is involved in her life, my precious little girl will be safe." Jade leaned against the side of the van and let out a relieved breath. She felt as if she'd been holding it ever since the phone call from Roy that let her know their daughter was alive again. With Robin around, it seemed, there was a good chance she'd stay that way this time.

Ivy turned in her seat to give her companion a sultry smile. "Well, now that you've got that burden off you mind, perhaps we can return to our business discussion?"

"Yeah! Can we-can we-please?" Harley squealed, bouncing in her chair.

Jade winced and rubbed at her temple. She still couldn't understand why a professional like Ivy worked with a ditz like Quinn. "I've considered your generous offer, and am happy to accept. I'm in."

"Oh goody! You're gonna love it at the house Chesh! We got a toy room and everything!"

"And in the realm of things you may actually care about, a labratory prepped and waiting for our combined genius," Ivy added.

Cheshire grinned. "I look forward to our collaboration."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fall out from Cheshire's attack. Lian thanks Damian for saving her life.

Chapter 9

When Dick got to the Watchtower he fully expected to find his ex-sidekick glaring at him, ready to chew him out. Instead he found an abandoned monitor station. He poked his head around the general area, finding neither Robin nor Superman, and so assumed something had happened that required attention.

He played back the comm recordings and felt his stomach drop when he heard Lian's terrified plea for help. Dick was halfway to the teleporters before he heard Damian's final report, sending three to medbay. He sharply reversed direction and went off to the medbay.

He found Wally and Irey laid out on cots, unconscious and hooked up to equipment, but unattended. Dick looked around again, but found no sign of Damian. He returned to Wally's bedside and checked up on his and his daughter's condition. From the looks of it they'd been hit with a severe poison, but they'd also had the antidote administered. With their speed-healing, one of them was bound to wake up any minute.

Dick sat down at the foot of the bed to wait. He tried calling Damian and Roy, but neither of them answered their comms.

Then Wally let out a groan and clutched at his head. His skin was drained of all color and he was trembling, but as Dick watched he started to visibly strengthen. His eyes kept moving around the room, as though he were having a hard time focusing. "Urgh...I ever mention how much I friggin' hate Cheshire?" he slurred.

Dick's eyes widened. "Cheshire? Wally, what the hell happened?"

Wally sat up on his elbows and swallowed, clearly trying not to throw up. "She attacked the kids. Robin...urgh, Robin was fighting her. That fucking bitch poisoned us. Oh God. Is Irey okay?"

Before Dick could answer, Irey let out a whine as she returned to consciousness. Wally zoomed to her bedside, which turned out to be a mistake as the sudden movement had him retching. "You...urgh...you okay...princess?"

"I think I'm dying," Irey moaned. "Dad, I can't go to school tomorrow."

"Nice try kiddo. Your speed's gonna finish healing this up in a minute or two."

"Drat."

Dick snorted, and the two speedsters turned to face him. "Hi Uncle Dick!" Irey said brightly, sitting up in bed with color already returning to her cheeks. "What's up?"

"I'm looking for Robin. We were supposed to meet up, but..."

Irey shrugged. "Last time I saw him, he was kicking Cheshire's butt."

"Yeah, I figured he'd be around here somewhere," Wally said.

Dick frowned. "What happened to Lian?"

"Nothing," Irey said. "I grabbed her and brought her to our house. Cheshire never even touched her. She's probably still with Mom now. Ooo...you think Mom's mad?"

Wally nodded. "Oh yeah."

Suddenly, Irey's voice grew much weaker, and she laid back against the pillows. "You know what Daddy...I think I'd better stay here for awhile and...and try to recover my strength."

"Nice try princess."

"Double drat."

*******

Dick's next stop was to his own apartment in Gotham for street clothes. From there he was faced with a dilemma. Roy and Damian both likely needed some kind of friendly support. He wasn't sure who to track down first.

Well, Damian was going to be somewhat more difficult to locate, given his tendencies towards solitude (it had taken Dick awhile to notice, though, that his solitary tendencies didn't mean he necessarily wanted to be alone when he was upset). Roy at the least would probably answer a ringing phone.

He sat down at the foot of his bed and picked up his cell. Roy answered on the first ring.

"Hey Dick, now's not the best time."

"I figured. You okay? Do you want me to come by?"

There was a slight pause. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"

"Huh?"

Roy sounded pissed, which was Red Arrow for terrified. "There are cruisers and firetrucks all around my neighborhood, and I'm pretty sure I saw an ambulance and stretcher on my way home from the store. Lian was supposed to go to her friend's house after school, but she's not there and she's not picking up her phone. What happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but she's okay. She's at Wally's-"

"Wally's? What's she doing there?"

"I'm not sure myself," Dick admitted. "Meet you there?"

"Yeah...I guess. Thanks Dick."

Dick hung up his phone and chewed his lip. After a few minutes of thought, he texted Alfred, warning him that he probably had an emotionally distressed Robin prowling the manor somewhere, then he grabbed his coat and had the Watchtower send him to Kansas.

*******

Linda Park-West was not having a very good day. She'd spent the morning fighting with her computer before finally admitting defeat and setting it aside to have either Piper or Jai look it over for her, whoever she happened to bump into first (and sadly these days, she was much more likely to see her busy but good natured friend than her sullen and withdrawn teenage son, even though Jai lived with her and Piper didn't). She'd been trying to finish up her medical degree online, as she'd only been a few semesters away when the twins were born and she'd had to drop out, but it wasn't going very well. The online versions of the classes she needed were offered infrequently, and her duties as wife and mother to a family of superheroes made traditional school nearly impossible.

After the disappointment with the computer the mail had arrived, bringing her the twins' progress reports and further disappointment. Irey was failing three classes, and Jai was passing everything with nearly perfect grades, but nearly all of his teachers were reporting behavioral issues, and he'd apparently been to see the school social worker three times that quarter. Linda reread the reports a few times, then went into the bedroom and woke Wally up to discuss their kids.

Wally had put in a magnificent effort, trying to discuss serious parenting issues when he was clearly half-dead with exhaustion (he was working nights as a police mechanic again), but eventually Linda admitted defeat on that front as well and told him to go back to sleep.

When the twins got home she acted like nothing was wrong, since she and Wally hadn't come up with a unified parental plan of attack on Irey's horrendous grades and Jai's bad attitude. Jai went upstairs to do God knows what in his room, and Irey planted herself in the living room to watch TV and unwind. Linda went to make dinner, and was pulled from her bubble of tranquil domesticity by Irey screaming for her, accompanied by a traumatized looking preteen.

Thankfully, things went smoothly from there. Irey ran back into battle accompanied by her father, which soothed Linda's worries. And calming Lian down was well within her capabilities. She made them mugs of green tea, then sat down next to Lian with a box of tissues and reassuringly squeezed her hand.

"What do you need me to do to help you Lian? Do you want me to call your dad?"

Lian adamantly shook her head. "I can't talk to Dad yet."

"Are you sure?"

"If I see him, I'm going to ask him why the fuck he never told me my mother was a murderer. I don't think the conversation will go well until I can think of a way to start it that doesn't begin with swear words, or 'you fucking betrayed me you piece of-' oh look. More swear words. Can you call Dinah instead?"

Linda thought for a minute. "Dinah...that's Black Canary, right?"

Lian nodded. "My sort of ex-grandmother."

"Okay. I'll be right back."

Linda looked through every signal device they had, but she could not think of a way to get in touch with Black Canary. Dinah Lance just wasn't part of her and Wally's regular circle. Then she remembered that Black Canary was in the Birds of Prey, and she called Oracle (though Oracle was still keeping her circle small these days, she'd made her number available to most of the heroes who had kids at Dinah's request).

"What is it?" Barbara's voice came through filtered. It was a bit creepy sounding, and something she could see Jai doing once he figured out how.

"Hi...Miss G-"

"Oracle. Please. Hello Mrs. West. What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry to bug you, but I've got Lian Harper here and the poor girl is really distressed. She wants to talk to Black Canary, but I have no idea how to get in touch with her. Could you..."

"Not a problem. She'd want to take this. Hold on one sec, okay?"

Linda heard the squeak of a manual wheelchair, and then Barbara's voice much more faintly coaxing a reluctant sounding Black Canary out of bed. Linda quirked an eyebrow and pursed her lips, and tried not to draw any conclusions from that...even though it sounded like the women were living together...and there were so many rumors about those two.

Eventually Oracle managed to convey her meaning through some combination of the words "Lian" and "upset", because after that a frantic Black Canary was on the line.

"What the hell's going on? Mrs. Flash? What's wrong with Lian?"

"She's fine!" Linda yelled, startled. "Just upset because her mother tried to-"

"Cheshire was there? Good grief, I'm on my way!"

Then the line went dead. Scowling, Linda went into the other room to sit with Lian.

About twenty minutes later, a jet set down on her street. Linda jumped to her feet and ran to the front window, eyes wide and heart hammering. "What the hell do they think they're doing?" She yelled.

Black Canary had just jumped out of the jet and was running up to their front door. Thankfully she wasn't in costume, though Linda didn't think the jet or a fully uniformed Lady Blackhawk following after Dinah was much more amenable to keeping a secret identity. "We're going to have to move again. Son of a bitch! I really liked this neighborhood."

Linda flung open the front door, ready to give Black Canary a piece of her mind, when Lian shoved past her and dove into the woman's waiting arms.

While Linda had been sitting with Lian, she'd looked sullen but generally remained calm. As soon as she saw Dinah, she burst into incomprehensible sobs.

Linda decided her issues could wait, and went into the kitchen to make a couple more mugs of tea.

*******

Dick got to the West home shortly after Dinah and Zinda. He spent a few minutes just staring at the jet at the end of the street, wondering if he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Then he wondered if Babs was around, and if so, if that meant he should leave.

Roy walked up behind him and grabbed his shoulder. Dick spun around, aiming a hit, but Roy grabbed his wrist and rolled his eyes. "Lookit me, I just snuck up on a Bat."

"Sorry, I was a little distracted by the random jet in a suburban neighborhood."

"Yeah, that is a little odd."

They walked up to the house and knocked on the front door. Linda answered, looking frazzled. She stepped aside to let them in, then marched towards the kitchen. "I'll make you guys tea."

"That's okay Linda, I don't really-" Roy started.

"Everyone's having tea!" Linda snapped before disappearing through an archway.

"I think we should just take the tea," Dick muttered. "So...any thoughts about the Birds being here?"

Roy shrugged. He walked into the living room, and was shoved out again by Zinda. "Hey there Red Arrow, Nightwing. Nice to see both you fellas, and I'll be happy to let you in real soon, but what we got going on in there right now is a ladies moment."

"Is my daughter in there?" Roy asked in a low voice.

Zinda's faux-cheerfulness didn't alter in the least in response to Roy's staredown. "As a matter of fact she is, and the little lady's crying her pretty little eyes out, wondering why her daddy lied to her about what kind of person her mother is. Now, I think we'd best leave Dinah to work her magic and let you come up with a good explanation before we bust in there. Sound good?"

Roy looked like he'd just been punched in the stomach. He stiffly nodded, then stalked off for the kitchen. Dick looked between Zinda and Roy's retreating form for a moment, then hurried after Roy, all the while wishing he'd gone to track down Damian instead.

*******

It didn't take Dick long to realize that he was more of a hindrance than a help. He spent a little while talking with Roy, then told him he'd try to keep the night open in case Roy wanted to talk.

Roy gave him an odd look for a second, then shook his head. "That's a nice thought and all, but we both know you're either going to get pulled into some crazy mission, or your psychotic ex-sidekick is going to monopolize your time again. It's okay. If I need a friendly ear, I can call Donna."

Dick wasn't sure why he felt stung by that, but he was. He let it go though, and headed to Gotham.

He let himself into the manor and poked his head into the few rooms regularly frequented by its inhabitants (considering the size of the place, they only actually used a very small portion of it). Dick found Alfred dozing in an armchair in the den, a bucket of cleaning supplies sitting at his feet, and tip toed back out of the room, deciding to leave the butler to his nap.

Sighing, Dick then made his way to the Cave, wondering why he hadn't just started there to begin with.

Damian was on one of the lower levels, pushing himself through a particularly brutal looking training routine. Dick leaned against the stairwell railing and watched him for a few minutes, countenance growing more troubled the longer he observed. Damian wasn't training, or even just expending energy. Dick recognized a workout like that: the kid was punishing himself for a perceived failure that likely only existed in his damaged mind.

In some ways, he and his father really were very similar.

Dick finished the walk down to Damian's platform and stage coughed.

"I saw you…four minutes ago when you first came down here," Damian informed him.

"Cool. Y'wanna stop so we can talk?"

"Not interested."

Dick sighed. Even considering how impressive Damian's stamina was, he was clearly exhausted. His normally tanned complexion was quite a bit paler than normal, and he was dripping with sweat. Whenever he stopped moving long enough for Dick to get a clear look at him, his limbs were faintly trembling. The angry red scratch on his cheek stood out in stark contrast to the rest of his skin.

"Damian, I think you need to rest."

"I'm fine."

"Fine," Dick returned. "I just got back from Wally's. I take it you don't want to hear how Lian's doing?"

Scowling, Damian turned off the training program. He remained at the console for an extra minute, leaning heavily against it while he got his breathing under control. Dick pretended not to notice, since the sociopathic Robin was probably interpreting his understandable exhaustion as a display of weakness.

"You know Grayson, I really don't appreciate it when you attempt to manipulate me so blatantly."

"Doesn't the word 'attempt' imply that it's not working?" Dick returned.

Damian glared at him. He shrugged it off, far too used to the glares after so many years of them.

"Well? How is she?"

"Upset, but okay really. She doesn't have a scratch on her, and once she calmed down she was really grateful that you and Irey responded so quickly," Dick explained. "I didn't get a chance to see her, but she told Black Canary to tell me to thank you."

Damian nodded, and he and Dick made their way to one of the main levels of the Batcave. Damian sat heavily in the computer chair, almost as though his legs wouldn't support him any longer. Again, Dick didn't say anything about it, but he passed the kid a water bottle he'd thought to grab before heading down. Damian drained at least a third of it in one sip.

"So what happened?" Dick asked. "The others couldn't tell me much. Just that Cheshire attacked Lian. Do you know why?"

Damian shook his head. "I heard her rambling before I started fighting her. She said something about not being able to take it if Lian died again, so she was going to kill her daughter herself. Gently, of course."

"Sounds like Cheshire, unfortunately. Well, at the risk of you snapping something petulant or downright assholish at me, I gotta say Damian, I'm really proud of you. Cheshire's one of the deadliest living fighters on the planet. You held your own, and you protected Lian and Irey-"

"And Flash," Damian said with a disgusted snort. "If it weren't for the speedsters, I would have had her! And then Lian would be safe."

Dick tried not to wince. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then sat down across from Damian. "Yeah, we need to talk about that."

"No we don't."

"Yes we do. I promised Roy."

Damian pried his mask off so that Dick could get the benefit of his full glare. His narrowed brown eyes were as hard and unyielding as stone. "I don't care what that irresponsible oaf made you promise. We do not need to discuss my feelings about Lian."

"She's a little girl and you're sixteen. Almost seventeen. We've got to have some discussion here. Roy appreciates everything you've done for her, don't get me wrong, but…he's getting a little worried. You can kinda see where he's coming from, right?" Dick asked. Damian didn't say anything, but he broke eye contact and gazed off into space. "What exactly do you feel about Lian? This can be between us. I won't tell Roy."

"I…I'm not sure, exactly," Damian admitted, expression troubled. "When she died, I felt it as a keen injustice. And it wasn't just an injustice for her…I felt it against myself as well. She never judged me, or tried to change me. She just shared things with me that she thought I'd like…"

"She was your first friend," Dick supplied.

Damian nodded. "I wanted that back, so I arranged to make it happen. You can reassure Red Arrow that I have no romantic intentions towards his child," He said, carefully emphasizing the last word.

"Alright, I'll let him know. Now, I think you should go upstairs, shower, and rest for awhile. Otherwise you're going to be useless on patrol."

Damian quirked an eyebrow. "And what business of yours is that?"

"It's very much my business since I'm patrolling with you tonight. Your dad's got business in Tokyo, so I'm gonna hang around for a few days and keep you company."

"I was aware of the business plans. I don't need a babysitter."

Dick laughed at that. "Y'know, somehow we got that impression. I just figured it was a good excuse to hang out with you."

Damian's expression finally softened to its normal-level glare, and he regarded Dick with some small measure of fondness. "You don't need an excuse to 'hang out' with me. I do miss you from time to time, particularly after a series of head blows."

"Yeah, well I never thought I'd say this, but sometimes I really miss my little sidekick."

That brought the glare back to its above-average level. "I'm almost taller than you now Grayson. You'd better watch it with the s-word."

Dick grinned at him. "Grow as much as you like. You'll always be my angry little Robin to me."

"I'm going to eviscerate you."

"Yeah, well, you'll have to catch me first."

*******

As soon as Roy and Lian got back to their house Lian went upstairs and shut herself in her room. Though it pained him to do it, particularly after a brush with actual danger, Roy gave her her space. It was what he would have wanted at her age, and Ollie not giving him the respect of distance when he needed it had been a factor in the breakdown of his relationship with his mentor during his own adolescence.

The last thing he wanted was for Lian's teen years to be anything like his.

He paced around the living room for a bit and thought. They should probably move, though Jade would likely find them wherever they went. He still couldn't quite believe she'd tried to kill their daughter. It just didn't seem like Jade...

Of course, it was completely like Jade to test him. That made a bit more sense, Jade wanting to make sure Roy could protect Lian this time. Well, he'd failed that test. If it hadn't been for Robin...Roy pushed that thought away before it could finish.

Dinah had reluctantly informed him once that Jade had tried to kidnap Lian when she'd been a toddler, and now he wondered if she'd try it again.

None of it made sense, but they should still try to move. Lian didn't seem happy living in the suburbs anyway. She was a city kid, like him. He decided to talk to her about it soon, and get a little more input from her about where they should live. She was friends with Wally's kids. He really didn't want to move to a city with an established dynasty of superheroes, but if that's what she wanted, he'd think about it. And at least the Flashes pretended to be friendly most of the time. Their judgement was much less overt than the Batfamily's.

Roy glanced down at his phone and thought about calling Dick. A small smile started on his face without him realizing it. Dick had acted like they were dating again.

This was how they always started though. They found themselves single at the same time, and started hooking up a lot. Then eventually they'd start feeling sentimental, and one of them would suggest monogamy. If the familiar pattern was starting itself again, it had probably been a bad idea to shrug Dick off by saying he'd call Donna, even though Donna was way more dependable.

Even though he knew better, Roy tried calling Dick and tried not to be surprised when the phone went straight to voicemail. He did an equally bad job convincing himself he wasn't disappointed, and tried to remind himself how easily Dick emotionally attached himself to, well, anyone. He was just that kind of person. Friendly...empathetic. Roy's bond with Dick may have felt unique and significant to him, but on Dick's end it probably wasn't that different from the bonds he had with any of his exes. Hell, it probably wasn't even as significant as the bonds he had with Korey and Babs, considering he'd tried to marry both of them.

"Daddy?"

Roy turned around and willed an encouraging smile onto his face for his daughter. "Hey Peanut. Still pissed at me?"

She was standing in the entryway fidgeting with a bracelet on her wrist. Her long hair was pulled back in a messy bun that had a paintbrush stuck through it, and her t-shirt was splattered with the stuff. In fact, she smelled faintly of acrylics and turpenoid.

They'd discovered about a week ago that her passionate love for crayons as a child had transferred to a love of art in general as a twelve year old. Ollie had gifted her with the supplies, and Lian was teaching herself with lesson books and online tutorials. It looked like art was going to be an emotional release for her, and Roy inwardly thanked every deity he could ramble off the top of his head that his daughter had picked a safer release than he had.

"I'm not mad anymore. I...I get it. You didn't know how to tell me when I was little, and a lot's happened recently. I still think it was really stupid of you to tell Mom about me before you told me about her though."

Roy nodded. Just about everyone who'd gathered at the West house and cared to share their opinion on the subject had agreed with Lian on that. "I didn't think she'd hurt you. I'm sorry."

"Dad...how did you ever fall in love with someone like that?"

Roy smiled bitterly. "There's...there's a lot more to her than what you saw today. She just makes it hard to see."

"Well I don't approve of Mom. You should marry Auntie Donna or Uncle Dick instead," Lian said.

Roy laughed. "You've already mentioned that. Believe me, if I thought for a second I was good enough for either of them I'd go for it. As is, I don't think they'd take me."

"Wouldn't hurt to ask."

Roy wasn't sure he agreed with her, but he kept it to himself. "So, how goes the painting?"

"I'm just about finished," Lian answered. She sat down on the couch next to him and curled up against his side. He stroked her hair with the good arm, and things felt almost normal. "I wanted to make Damian a present...to thank him for saving my life. Do you think this counts as twice now, since he resurrected me too?"

Roy sighed. "I wouldn't know. What'd you paint him?"

"An abstraction of Gotham's skyline. I think he'll like it."

Roy was sure of it, and it bothered him. But on the plus side, there was nothing overtly romantic about a city skyline (unless he was way out of touch with what kids were doing these days. Really, after sparkly vampires he honestly couldn't put personified architecture outside the realm of possibility for mainstream teenage romances).

"So Li...do we need to have a talk about you and Damian?"

"Dad, you really wanna go there when I still have some righteous indignant highground on you right now?" Lian countered.

"You're going to make the teen years a real nightmare, aren't you?" Roy asked.

"Of course I am. I'm just as rebellious and independent as you," Lian responded smugly.

"And smarter," Roy lamented. She made an affirmative noise, and he lightly whapped her paintbrush bun. "You're not supposed to agree with that." She laughed, and he felt a weight lift from him. Good. Once again, Lian didn't seem to suffer the emotional damage one would expect someone in her situation to. "We can visit Gotham tomorrow and drop it off if you want."

"Sounds good." She pulled his hand down from her hair and twined their fingers. "Dad...thanks for not being a psychopath."

He let out a startled laugh. "You're welcome."

*******

Lian had never seen a house like Wayne manor before. The few times she'd visited Damian, he'd been living at a penthouse downtown, back when Bruce Wayne had still been "dead". The isolated mansion on the outskirts of the city gave quite a different impression from the other building. It was very lonely, but still intimidating.

Maybe it was because she was older this time, and didn't have the comforting confidence of a five year old that had always been petted and protected from sadness, but Lian was nervous. The scrap of canvas under her arm felt cheap and pathetic when she passed through rooms full of artfully arranged antiques and pieces of real artwork.

Her father hung back in one of the massive sitting rooms, and she crossed her fingers, hoping that Dick would go keep him company, and that if her dad didn't make progress on that front, that he at least wouldn't say something to hurt his chances with the other hero. She really wanted to see her dad settled down and happy, and frankly after seeing what kind of woman her mother really was, she didn't trust him as a judge of character anymore and feared the prospect of him trying to date without help.

Alfred led her to Damian's room. She thanked him and he left with a polite remark, then she swallowed nervously and knocked on the door.

Damian looked a bit startled to see her, though to be fair Lian felt startled even though she was the one who'd planned the visit. She'd only really seen him twice since her resurrection: right after it happened, and for a brief moment when her mother tried to kill her. It wasn't enough exposure to get her used to seeing Damian as a sixteen year old. A flawless looking sixteen year old, at that.

Besides which, one of his eyes was bruised shut and he had a nasty looking gash running across his collar bone.

"That wasn't from my mother, was it?" Lian asked, already feeling guilty.

He glanced down at the cut, and then smirked at her. "This was from her," he said, indicating a fainter scratch on his cheek that she hadn't noticed, what with how distracting the other injuries were. "These other inconveniences came from patrol."

"Oh. Um...well hi. Can I come in?"

"Of course." He stepped aside, and she walked into his bedroom.

It was a bit nicer than the old penthouse one, though Lian had a feeling that had more to do with Damian's very old family living in a very old house than it had to do with him. She guessed he just wasn't one to leave a personal mark on a dwelling space. "You still don't have any pictures up," she teased.

"The ones I have don't really match the decor of my father's home. I've chosen to keep them someplace safe," he answered. "Lian...not that I mind, but what are you doing here?"

Lian took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "I just...I wanted to thank you for saving me."

"Don't bother. It was nothing to me."

Lian's eyes widened in shock. She turned to face the window on the pretense of admiring the view until she could get her composure back.

Of course it hadn't been personal. He was a hero, that's what they did.

"Well it meant something to me," she finally said, once she was sure her voice would remain even. "I made this for you to...to show my appreciation." Lian presented the painting, and as soon as his eyes were fixed on the canvas she chewed her lip nervously, not sure how he'd react to such a humble gift.

Damian's eyes quickly raked over the canvas, with the same sharp focus he must use while working as a detective. After a moment, his eyes met hers and he quirked his lips upwards into a very slight smile. "Thank you very much, Miss Harper. I'll put this with the others."

"Oh." Lian felt her stomach lurch. Of course...people must do these sorts of things for him all the time. In fact, he probably had lots of tokens of appreciation that far surpassed a two hour attempt at abstraction with cheap acrylics. Still, he was being polite about it. "Y-you're welcome."

Damian set the painting on his desk, then turned to face her again. An awkward silence settled between them.

When Lian couldn't take it anymore, she mumbled something about her and her father needing to leave. That forced look of polite interest finally left Damian's face, and he said something courteous about wishing she could stay longer.

Lian all but fled the room.

When she got back to the sitting room, she found her father doing exactly what she'd hoped. He was talking to Dick, and they were sitting unnecessarily close together considering how large the room was. Dick's handsome blue eyes were blazing with the same sort of interest that she belatedly realized she'd wanted to see Damian's honeyed brown reflecting towards her.

She'd really thought somewhere in the back of her mind that the older boy might like her like that, even though she was just a kid, and a weak one besides that. Someone he needed to protect. Well, she wouldn't make that mistake again.

"Come on Daddy, let's go."

"Lian?" Roy scooted away from Dick, then stood and walked over to her. "Everything alright Peanut?"

"Yeah fine. Let's just go."

Roy turned back towards Dick and shrugged his shoulders apologetically, but allowed himself to be pulled from the manor by his suddenly distressed young daughter.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bats take in a new orphan.

Chapter Ten

Damian was in his room reading when a knock sounded at his door. He went to open it, expecting to find Pennyworth busy with some form of domestic activity that involved his room, and was pleased to see Lian Harper instead. The girl smiled shyly up at him, and he stepped aside to let her in.

Damian quickly looked her over as best he could while one of his eyes was swelled shut (Grayson's fault; they'd been taking down rivaling street gangs the previous night, and Nightwing had gone after a different cluster than Damian had expected, leaving him vulnerable when he'd thought he was covered. When he'd made the other hero aware of this after the fact, Grayson had engaged in his usual whining about how if Damian expected partners to work with him effectively, he ought to tell them what his plans were). Lian didn't show any signs of injury from her brief run-in with her mother, or her subsequent unpleasant transport out of state by a hyperactive teenage speedster. She also seemed to be adjusting to the norms of the current year quite well; she was dressed reasonably fashionably, though he thought she was wearing an unnecessary amount of makeup and jewelry. Then again, she appeared to be carrying a canvas with her. Perhaps the makeup and jewelry were an artistic affectation.

Lian's eyes widened when she looked at him, her mouth forming a small 'o' of displeasure, and he felt his stomach lurch. The realization only added to his discomfort; he didn't often care how people reacted to him, after all.

"That wasn't from my mother, was it?"

Oh, of course. Her eyes were on the gash by his collarbone, and the swollen eye couldn't have presented a much more reassuring sight. He glanced down at his cut, then smiled in relief. "This was from her," he said, touching the small scratch Cheshire had given him. "These other inconveniences came from patrol." He considered giving her the story of Grayson's many blunders the previous night, and his eventual triumph over the street gangs despite the cumbersome presence of a partner, when Lian cleared her throat to speak.

"Um…well hi. Can I come in?"

He'd already stepped aside to admit her, but he must not have made his intention clear enough. Inclining his head in a slight bow, Damian retreated further into his room. "Of course."

As she had when she was a child, Lian looked around the room, studying his possessions and likely forming some conclusions about his character. She'd probably make an able detective if she weren't hindered by her place within the Arrow family. He still wished she wouldn't assess him based on this room though; almost everything in it was an heirloom and had already been present before he'd occupied it. His real belongings were stored in his part of the workshop in the Batcave, where he spent the brunt of his free time. If Pennyworth and Grayson, and thus his father, didn't insist that he spend at least a few hours in daylight every now and then, he probably would never leave his little corner of the Cave.

"You still don't have any pictures up," Lian said, confirming his suspicion.

Damian sighed, and explained himself. "The ones I have don't really match the décor of my father's home. I've chosen to keep them someplace safe. Lian, not that I mind, but what are you doing here?"

She took a deep breath, and regarded him with a pleasing smile that he couldn't help but return, though he feared in a muted capacity. "I just…I wanted to thank you for saving me."

The comment startled him, though at the same time he felt continued fondness for his guest. Most people took it for granted that a costumed hero would save them because that's what heroes did. They very rarely offered thanks for it.

Besides, how could he not save her?

"Don't bother. It was nothing to me," he said, hoping his natural reticence didn't obscure his sincerity. He would always come to her aid, whenever and whatever she might need him for.

Again, her lovely green eyes widened, though he couldn't read her expression. She turned away from him too quickly, and stood by the window. His bedroom had an excellent view of the grounds. Damian figured a sensitive, artistic type like Lian would appreciate the scenery more than he did.

"Well it meant something to me," she murmured after a thoughtful pause. She turned back towards him and held out the canvas. "I made this for you to…to show my appreciation."

Damian looked the canvas over before reaching out to accept it. It was quite the leap from the last picture she'd drawn him; she'd used a painterly style to render the Gotham skyline in thickly applied acrylics. It looked stunning. He could hardly believe a twelve year old, and one who'd missed six years of her life, was capable of such work.

"Thank you very much Miss Harper. I'll put this with the others." It would make a fine addition to his collection in the Batcave.

"Y-you're welcome," Lian finally muttered after a moment's hesitation.

Damian reverently set the painting on his desk, then turned towards his guest again. They shared a pleasant silence while he regarded her and her artwork, feeling gratitude for her consideration of him. No one ever thanked him for doing his duty as a Bat.

"Damian I, I'd better go. My dad's downstairs and I, we, we should get going. I'll see you around, okay?"

Damian frowned, disappointed. "Well if you must. The next time you visit, I hope you'll stay longer."

She nodded, smiled weakly, and left.

Damian walked back to his desk and again looked at his painting. He held it up, and once he studied it from a variety of angles he put it under his arm and carried it down to the Cave.

Though it seemed like quite the gallery to him, Damian really didn't have all that many personal pictures hanging above his workbench. But each one was significant, and the admittance of a new piece required some planning. After about an hour's work he stepped back to look at his little section of wall, satisfied.

The new painting hung in a place of prominence, centered where he usually sat as he worked. He'd hung the crayon pictures Lian had drawn him when they were children on the left. The picture of Damian, Lian and the twins still had the silly band taped to it, and the one of Robin Hood had a dried flower from her wake. After the crayon drawings he'd hung a picture of the national museum of Iraq, and a newspaper clipping of one of his first outings as Robin. On the other side were the few photographs he had of him and his father, an old picture of his grandparents that Bruce had let him take a few years ago, and a small candid picture of Grayson behaving like a buffoon.

He smiled at his collection, then went upstairs to find Dick and see if he was ready for patrol.

*******

"Come on Tam, pick up, pick up…" Tim grumbled. He had his cell crooked by his ear while he was looking for the various pieces of the Red Robin suit. Since declaring himself a reserve it had been far too easy to let the bits of equipment he used to fight crime drift around his apartment and fall into disrepair. He only suited up once every couple of months these days, which he interpreted as Dick and Bruce respecting his decision to live as much of a normal civilian life as possible while he was in school.

He sincerely doubted they only wanted his help once every couple of months (with the obvious exception of Damian, who would prefer it if Tim never suited up again).

Scowling, Tim was about to give up on contacting Tam when her ringing phone was dropped over his shoulder and landed on the bed in front of him. He turned around and found Tam standing behind him with her hands on her hips, an amused expression on her face.

"That's an interesting outfit you've chosen for the library tonight."

He couldn't help but smirk. He was mostly dressed in the suit, only missing one of his gloves, the boots, and a few of the accessories for his pouches. "I think you've gathered I'm not going to be able to join you."

She rolled her eyes. "Bruce does know we're defending our theses in two months, right?"

"Yep. And he appreciates how much work that is. But keep in mind, he thought Dick could function perfectly as his partner, leading the Teen Titans, taking solo cases, and taking four AP classes when he was sixteen. Oh, and he did extracurriculars." Based on her expression, Tam hadn't been aware of that at all. Tim laughed at her expression. "I can't believe I never mentioned that. Yeah, he eased up a little by the time I was Robin. I was allowed to take honors level classes instead of APs if I so chose, and I was encouraged not to do extracurriculars."

"I'm seriously surprised you and Nightwing didn't drop from exhaustion years ago. Oh my poor abused little guy." She reached over and ruffled his hair. Tim scowled, inching away.

"Where the hell are my boots? You're not taller than me when I'm wearing the Red Robin boots."

"Yes, that's secretly the reason I loathe you suiting up and going out to risk your life. Because I enjoy being an inch taller than you," she said sarcastically. She sat down on the bed and sighed dramatically. "Well I suppose I'll get through my research without you somehow. It could be worse. This could have interrupted a real date instead of just a study-buddy night."

"Yep," Tim agreed. He pulled his boots and gloves on, but left the cowl down. No one liked the cowl anyway, least of all Tam. "Look, it isn't even a big world-ending kinda thing. Bruce, Damian and Dick are just all crazy busy, and Bruce got a tip about this sketch pharmaceutical company that no one else has the time to investigate."

"Uh huh." She still didn't look pleased.

"I'll just be in and out. I've been doing this kinda thing since I was twelve. It's mindlessly easy, I promise."

"I know that statement was intended to comfort me, but really Tim…" She slipped her phone into her bag and pulled out a stack of stapled papers. "I printed up my rewrite of those twenty pages you read over for me last week. Can you take another look at them?"

"Sure. Hey, I might even be able to join you if I wrap this thing up quickly tonight. I should be back in time for the second run through of Adult Swim, at any rate."

"Okay." She left the papers on his bed, crossed the room, and kissed him. "Stay safe."

"I will."

*******

Tim let out a grunt as he yanked open the thick metal door he'd found in the bowels of the Placing-Bow Pharmaceuticals building. The thing had had more bolts on it than a bank vault, but all the records he'd found in the offices of the building indicated the basement was where the dirt was to be found.

His eyes widened when he caught sight of what was behind it. He was standing at the entrance to what looked like a kennel, with collars, leashes and handcuffs hanging from the chain link fence. He was assaulted by the various scents of waste; urine, feces and blood. Worst of all, the cement floor was littered with about a dozen emaciated corpses, all Tamaranian from the looks of it.

There was one survivor curled up in the corner, hugging a half rotted female child. The surviving Tamaranian stared at Tim with wide, frightened orange eyes. His pale white skin started to glow as he let out a terrified wail, and the child in his arms started to melt.

*******

"His name is X'hawn," Starfire reported. "I've instilled the ability to speak and understand English in him now, so you should be able to go over there and talk to him."

"Thanks Kory," Dick said.

"Wouldn't he be more comfortable talking to you?" Tim asked, confused. "He was pretty terrified of me when I rescued him. It took me almost twenty minutes to get him to come with me."

Terrified was a bit of an understatement. Tim had tried his best to calm the teen despite their language barrier, and eventually coaxed him out of the building (which, granted, wasn't exactly someplace either of them were keen to stay). He'd called Bruce on his way to the Batcave, and conveniently found that he was just getting back from Tokyo and en route to the manor. They'd had to call Dick in from his patrol with Damian, something Tim was sure he'd be given hell for later, but he couldn't bring himself to care about ruffling that particular Robin's feathers. Dick had experience with Tamaranians, and he also had Korey's number in his cell.

Starfire scowled at Tim, looking none too pleased about her interview with their guest. "He's going to trust you more than me."

The Bats didn't say anything, but they all regarded her with that same expectant look. She let out an irritated little breath. "He's from the Sh'oka belt of Tamaran. His people opposed my family's right to rule. He comes from a people of war criminals and terrorists."

"Well he's still a frightened kid in our custody-"

"I know that!" Starfire cut Tim off. "I told you, he doesn't trust me, not the other way around. To him I'm some kind of cruel despot that had his family needlessly butchered or something. I…I'm going to get going. Let me know if you need anything else though."

"Sure thing."

She kissed Dick goodbye before taking her leave of the Cave.

X'hawn was sitting on a table in an alcove with a thick blanket thrown over his bony shoulders. Starfire had helped them hook him up to an IV to give him appropriate levels of fluids and nutrients for his system (even if he was clearly ethnically different from Starfire, biologically he was still just as much a Tamaranian as her). He watched the three of them warily while they considered what to do with him.

"I suppose he can stay here," Bruce said with a sigh.

"We should have someone at S.T.A.R or somewhere take a look at him though," Dick said, frowning. "The quacks at Placing-Bow were experimenting on him pretty severely from the sounds of it, and whereas Korey's pretty knowledgeable about first aid, she's still a far cry from a doctor."

"Agreed," Bruce said with a nod.

"I'm going to go talk to him, before we make too many more decisions." Tim crossed the Cave and sat down next to X'hawn, who only edged away a little. The frightened teen looked down at his hands where they were clutching the blanket.

"I understand your language now." X'hawn's voice was high and weak, making him appear even younger than he probably was. Tim guessed him to be about thirteen, but possibly sixteen at the oldest.

"Starfire mentioned that. Did she tell you who we were?"

"She said you were good people and that I could trust you, that not all Earth people are like the ones who hurt me. But…"

"You don't trust the royal family?" Tim guessed. X'hawn nodded. "She mentioned that too."

"It's not just that." He wiped at his face. "I don't trust anyone anymore. But thank you for getting me out of there. I, I'll be an obedient slave once I get my strength back."

"X'hawn, I didn't save you to enslave you. The people who hurt you severely violated my people's laws. I'm one of the fighters who stops people like them. We want to help you."

X'hawn looked up ever so briefly and then back down at his hands. "Then why do you hide your face from me? I don't know your name either."

"Oh, yeah, the mask is just custom for when I do this kind of work." Tim looked across the Cave to where Bruce and Dick were watching him. "X'hawn wants to know who I really am. You guys cool with that?"

Bruce shook his head while Dick nodded. Dick scowled. "Oh come on! I told Korey practically right away!"

"That was a different time."

"The situation's still identical. Fine, you keep your mask on." Dick peeled his off and walked towards them. "Hey X'hawn. My name's Dick."

"Hello," X'hawn said to his hands.

"I'm Tim." Tim pulled back his cowl.

X'hawn nodded. "You all look much better without your face coverings. You…really wish to help me?"

"It's what we do," Dick answered.

"I'm very cold. Is there someplace warmer we might go?" X'hawn asked.

"Yeah, we can manage that." Dick started towards the entrance to the manor, while Tim supported X'hawn and helped him walk with the IV. Dick jogged up the stairs and yelled ahead of them. "Hey Alfred! Can you start a fire up there? We've got a guest and he's cold!"

*******

Damian was in a foul mood. The pleasant upswing to his day that Lian's visit had generated disappeared less than halfway into patrol, when Dick had dropped a bombshell on him.

He'd started out by asking how Damian liked patroling with his father. Damian had repsonded with a curt "fine". He'd been working with his father almost exclusively for over a year at this point; why was Dick asking about it now?

The thing was though, that even though Robin mostly worked with Batman, Batman and Robin worked with Nightwing incredibly frequently. Damian and Bruce were both reserved, stubborn, and independent. Their communication was almost nonexistent without Dick coaxing them into conversation.

And he was leaving. He'd brought it up so he could remind Damian that he still didn't have much of a relationship with his father, even after all these years, unless Dick was there to help, and now he was moving back to New York. "I just don't think Gotham needs quite this many heroes," he'd said sheepishly.

"I find that unlikely. Are you sure the real reason you're abandoning us isn't simply because Red Arrow lives in New York and you're trying to rekindle your ill conceived relationship with him?"

"Am I being that transparent?"

Damian glowered at him. "I noticed."

"Shit. Well come on...the Birds are back in Gotham, you are Bruce are unstoppable together, and you've got Red Robin on reserve-shut it, he's a good crime fighter. You really don't need me too."

That didn't mean Damian didn't want him around.

Before he found a way to explain his feelings without humiliating himself, Dick had been called away by Red Robin. Typical. Couldn't even handle a routine check on an irreputable company without assisstance (in the process cutting short what was probably going to be the last patrol Damian had with Dick for some time).

Just so they knew he wasn't happy with any of them, when Damian pulled his batmobile into the Cave he immediately exited and went for the stairs without acknowledging anyone. Dick, Red-redundant-Robin and Bruce were gathered by the computer arguing about something, but he ran past them and went up to the manor. Pennyworth wouldn't be happy about him walking around the house in his costume, but he didn't care.

He stalked through the main room, on his way to the ostentatious staircase that led to the upperfloors, when he stopped and doubled back.

There was an alien sitting on the sofa.

At first the two boys simply stared at each other. The alien was emaciated, though Damian could only tell by looking at his wasted face. His tiny body was hidden under layers of clothing and heavy comforters. A mug of cocoa was placed in front of him on the coffee table, and he was curled as close as possible towards a roaring fire in their seldom used fireplace while still sitting on the sofa. He had long, dirty white hair that was almost as pale as his skin, though his eyes were akin to the orange flames he was perched near.

His thin lips curled into an ironic smile. "Another one?"

"I suppose. Who are you?" Damian snapped.

"X'hawn. You must be Master Damian. Alfred said you were ru-er, a little cranky sometimes."

"Cranky. Right...Excuse me X'hawn."

"Of course."

Damian marched back down to the Cave, to the amusement of the assembled crime fighters from the looks on their idiotic faces (at the moment he wasn't pleased with any of them).

"There's an alien sitting in our living room," he said bluntly.

"Yep," Dick agreed.

"Alright then. It's not a problem?" he pressed.

"It's not your problem," his father responded.

Damian nodded. "I'm going to bed."

*******

Lian looked around her room in some astonishment. She'd only been alive again for barely six months. How had she managed to acquire so many possessions?

Grandpa Ollie, mostly. Right...

Shaking her head, she started packing up her books and paint supplies first. She got through three boxes when suddenly there was a series of anxious rappings on her door. Well, they sounded anxious anyway, and would have been if they hadn't originated from a speedster.

"C'mon in," Lian called. She expected Irey West to open the door, possibly burn some jittery energy racing around the room a few times and knocking things over, before settling on the bed and asking her too many questions at once. She wasn't prepared for Irey vibrating through the door to come in.

Lian instinctually dove behind her desk.

Irey laughed, and helped her to her feet. "Hi to you too! What was that about?"

"Didn't your dad used to blow things up when he did that?" Lian squeaked.

"Yeah, but not for ages. 'Sides, Uncle Barry taught me how to do it the right way. I had more fun when Bart tried to explain it, but...yeah, I think I really got the hang of it from Uncle Barry. So what's shaking? You still need help packing or what?"

Lian tossed a cardboard box at her head. "Fill it up. But neatly and carefully, if you don't mind."

"Sure thing."

They worked in silence for a little while, which Lian found pleasant since organizing her things was a consuming task, but after a little while she realized how odd it was. Irey was chattier than that.

"Alright, what's wrong?"

"Huh? N-nothing," Irey said, turning away from Lian to stare at her closet. "Hey! You didn't keep any of the old clothes that Dad gave you! How come you don't like my clothes?"

"They didn't fit. You're taller and ganglier than me. And don't try to distract me West. There's something wrong, now spill. You've been as quiet and sulky as a Bat since you got here," Lian teased.

Irey scowled. "Like I could ever be as sulky as a Bat. Alright, fine. I'm just in a bad mood. We had a big fight with the Rogues this weekend and...it got complicated."

"How so?" Lian asked.

Irey fiddled with one of Lian's sweaters as she spoke, attempting to fold it and unfolding it a few times. Wait, was she...blushing? "One of them kissed me."

"Ew," Lian said, picturing what she remembered of the Flash's Rogues gallery and finding it a nightmarish prospect.

Irey bristled. "It was a nice kiss! That's the problem!"

"Wait, was it not one of the old guys your dad and great uncle always fight?" Lian asked.

Now it was Irey's turn for a wince and an exclamatian of ew. "Of course not! It was Downpour."

"Downpour? I don't think I know that one," Lian said. She ran for her laptop to do a search on him. "I take it he wasn't around when we were little?"

"Nope. His real name's Josh Jackam. We thought he died when he was a baby, but he was blasted to a hell realm. Since he's been back he's been kinda screwed up, but I know he's a good kid underneath it all. Granty thinks so too." Granty was Irey's nickname for her great aunt Iris (for great auntie). Barry had objected to the term Gruncle for great uncle, so they just called him Uncle Barry like their dad.

Lian pulled up a newspaper article on Downpour, then frowned at her computer. "I can't find any pictures of him. Is he cute?"

"Yep. Hold on, I've got a picture of him in my cell." Irey pulled it up and then handed it to Lian.

He'd clearly posed for the picture. "Wait, do you have his number too?" Lian asked.

"Yeah...what?"

"Nothing." God but the Flashes were weird when it came to their Rogues. "Does he have your number?"

"No, of course not! He doesn't know my secret identity. That'd be a little weird, wouldn't it?"

Well there was that at least.

Lian studied the picture for a moment. He was cute. Not as cute as Damian, though very few people were, but still nice looking. He was tall and slender, with a pale complexion and dark brown eyes. His hair was light brown and sleek, and cut in a flattering style that highlighted his fine boned facial structure.

His costume was a bit tacky, but then he was a Rogue.

"Nice." Lian handed the phone back, and Irey blushed. "So how villainous are we talking here?"

"Not very. He doesn't hassle bystanders if he can help it, and right now he kinda Robin-Hoods with his ill gotten gains. I think he's only running with the Rogues because his dad was one of them."

"Was? This kid an orphan too?" Lian asked. Irey nodded. "Oh hon, that's some baggage right there."

"I know! I know, believe me. I'm not, like, gonna date him or anything. It's just...that was my first kiss. Don't tell my dad. Pretty sure he'll freak out and think that the Rogues are like, sexually harassing me or something. He's really paranoid about that."

"Well I've heard that Captain Cold's a bit of a perv."

"Naw, he's a sweetie, he just likes to pretend he's a jerk," Irey said, waving a hand dismissively.

Lian quirked an eyebrow. "You guys have a really unique relationship with your bad guys, you know that?"

Irey laughed. "Well he is! Captain Boomerang said something gross and actually pervy about me once, and Captain Cold whapped him upside the head with his cold gun and said he didn't want dirty fucking pedos in the group. Actually it was kinda insulting because he was acting like I was still, like eight or something. Ah well. Yeah, other than the evil speedsters and Grodd, we kinda lucked out with bad guys."

"Mm." Lian must have sunk into a bit of a daze, because Irey snapped a few thousand times in front of her face (or, she estimated a few thousand times; the superspeed made it hard to tell). "Sorry."

"It's okay! Mind if I ask what you were thinking 'bout?"

Lian chewed her lip and shook her head. "Let's not waste time with that. Is it okay if we just finish packing and then go get our pizza?"

"I guess."

Irey obligingly kept from pestering her while they finished up, though both girls were a bit distant with each other. Irey was likely still thinking about her budding romance with the bad boy meta, while Lian wondered what her first kiss would be like and if a certain bad boy Robin would be delivering it.

*******

"You're moving?" Dick asked, painfully aware that he was behaving just as flabbergasted as Damian had when he'd made a similar announcement earlier that week.

"Well yeah," Roy responded with some amusement. His tone changed entirely at what he had to say next. "You really didn't expect me to stay here after what Lian went through when Jade attacked, do you? She killed her only friends in the area."

"I hadn't really thought of..." Sighing, Dick scrubbed a hand through his hair. "So what, are you going back to the city proper?" He knew Roy wasn't exactly thrilled about being in the suburbs, but he'd thought it would be better for Lian.

"Actually, we're going to Kansas."

"Kansas?" Dick repeated, doing a poor job hiding his surprise. That was actually a bit of a distance, especially since neither of them had superspeed. "Dude, we're never going to see each other anymore."

Roy had been walking around his living room sorting things into piles, occasionally chucking non-fragile items into open boxes. He stopped and sat down on his coffee table, across from Dick. "Alright, I take it that's a problem for you?"

"It's not for you?"

Roy frowned. "Dick...look, I've gotten what you're getting at and I thought about it...I don't wanna date you right now. It's just...there's a lot going on. Lian's almost a teenager, and I really just need to put her first."

"No, I know, I-I get that, but c'mon Roy...I've been co-parenting a moody teen for years now. You can still date."

Roy shook his head. "It's different. Don't take this the wrong way, because I think you've been doing awesome things with Damian, but I don't want Lian to turn out anything like that."

Dick felt like he'd been punched. He knew Damian was hard to get along with, but considering everything he'd overcome he did have a right to his awkwardness. Dick hated when people put him down. "Damian's a fantastic kid."

"I know he is-"

"Then why did you say that?" Dick demanded.

"Why do you think?" Roy snapped. "He's a great kid, but he's dysfunctional and socially retarded! There's no way in hell my little girl is going to turn out that screwed up just because of me putting my needs before being a dad!"

Dick stood up and started for the door. "You know what? Fuck you. And don't call me for anymore hook ups either. I'm sick of being used by you."

Roy followed after him. "Couldn't wait to throw that in my face again, could you? I was sixteen and you weren't exactly pushing me away so fucking get over it!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you stop using me at some point then?" Dick demanded, turning around and yelling in Roy's face. "Because I never god damn noticed!"

It looked for a minute like Roy was going to punch him but he didn't. He slammed the door in Dick's face instead. Dick was shaking with anger, and hearing all the locks click into place didn't calm him down any.

"I'm moving to New York you asshole!" Dick finally yelled. "I didn't want you to have to do long distance again so you could be home for your daughter!"

He took off before Roy managed to fumble the door back open, a simple task made more difficult while emotional what with the one-arm and all the locks and alarms in a superhero's dwelling. By the time he got out onto the sidewalk Dick was already gone.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some reflection on his personal relationships, Damian decides to proposition Jai West.

Chapter 11

Lian leaned out her bedroom window and watched in dismay as Dick got into his car and drove off. She bit back a wail of displeasure (not to mention some cursing her father certainly wouldn't want to hear coming from her). After a few minutes she caught sight of her dad running out onto the lawn to go after Dick, just barely too late to catch up.

Any hopes of Roy going after him or even just trying to call him on his cell were dashed as the man dejectedly walked back into the house. A few minutes after that he started blasting a Grateful Dead record (Roy still clung to vinyl whenever he could; he preferred the sound quality, much to the annoyance of his daughter, who thought the space taken up by his bulky record collection would be better repurposed for her growing collection of equally bulky books).

"Oh hell no."

Lian charged downstairs and ran into the living room. Roy was sitting on the couch with his head in his hand, clearly in the throes of self-pity. Lian killed the music, then stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Roy groaned without looking up.

"I don't care," Lian snapped at him. "We need to get something clear Daddy. You will not be using me as an excuse to hold yourself back from things that scare you, you got that? I want you to date Uncle Dick. I don't know how much more obvious I can make it, so what the hell was that?"

"Peanut, you wouldn't understa-"

"Try me."

"It's complica-"

"Try me."

Sighing, Roy finally looked up. "I do love him, but we're not good together. We always end up hurting each other, and I just don't want to do that anymore."

"Well I think you're being a chicken."

Roy shrugged. "Think whatever you want Peanut. I'm still the adult here and it's my love life we're talking about."

Lian frowned at the valid point. Well, it's not like her dad being a complete and utter coward was the only thing bothering her about the fight she'd overheard. "Did you mean what you said about Damian?"

"I..." Roy looked down at his feet. "I shouldn't have said it like that, but the kid does bother me."

"Why?" Lian asked. She sat down next to her father and eyed him with innocent confusion. As far as she could tell, Roy's accusations about Damian were completely unfounded. "I know he's a little cold, but he's really nice under it all. And besides, he brought me back to life."

Roy nodded. "Yeah, he's great with you, but not so much with, well...the rest of humanity. And actually, that really bothers me too. You're twelve. A seventeen year old should not be looking at you like that."

Lian knew he had a point about that, but she still didn't want to hear it. Whatever the thing was that was going on between her and the broody teenager, she felt with her whole being that it was something special and deeply real, and she wished the complicating factor of their ages would stop being mentioned. Once she was just a few years older, their age gap would become irrelevant anyway. As long as neither of them did anything until then, it was fine.

God she hoped Damian would be interested in her when she was old enough to date. Considering the way he'd reacted to the painting, she wasn't nearly as sure of his feelings as her dad seemed to be. Lian knew her own heart though, and Damian had staked a pretty sizable claim on it, rivaling only her father, her Grandpa Ollie and Dinah.

"You know Daddy," Lian began after a moment of careful reflection, "if you were married to Uncle Dick and I started dating Damian, it'd be awfully convenient for holidays."

Roy laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Placing-Bow Pharmaceuticals all but disappeared overnight, amidst much scandal. Bruce took off again, determined to hunt down whatever board members and executives he could, and bring them to justice for the wrongs inflicted on X'hawn and the other Tamaranian refugees.

X'hawn appreciated the commitment, but of all the strange humans to disappear for a long stretch of time he was glad that it was the Batman. The man was...unsettling, if not outright scary, even though he was obviously noble and good. His unusual (to a Tamaranian anyway) blue eyes weren't as warm as Tim or Dick's.

He didn't much care for the younger human with the brown coloring either, and wasn't surprised to learn that he was the Batman's son, despite the difference in their complexion and eye color (their build was pretty much the same though). Thankfully, Damian was content to avoid him, which left X'hawn mostly in Tim's company (Dick occasionally dropped in for a quick hello, but he wasn't really around that much). However, Tim didn't live at the manor, so generally X'hawn had a lot of time to himself.

He mostly spent it watching television and reading books, trying to familiarize himself with his new world. He was sitting in one of the manor's massive (and thus difficult to heat) rooms on one such day, wrapped in blankets and watching an animated program about a society of humans with significant deformities, including bizarre pigment conditions that rendered their skin yellow. The physical deformities weren't even discussed on the show, so he made a mental note to ask Tim or Alfred about it later.

The fire was starting to die down, and X'hawn felt a pang of unease. Even with the heating system turned to a level that made the humans perspire, X'hawn was still cold unless he sat near a fire. The Sh'okaah belt of Tamaran had been along the equator of the planet. He'd lived in a rainforest with dense tree cover and high humidity. X'hawn was used to two hundred plus degree weather, meaning space travel had almost killed him and if it hadn't been for the genetic tinkering performed on him by one of his former masters, Earth's temperatures would have done him in.

X'hawn glanced down at his left hand, currently obscured by something wonderful a Wayne family friend had knit for him called a mitten, and he thought back on the torturous genetic experimentation he'd been subjected to since being evacuated from Tamaran. He took off the mitten and pointed his hand towards the fireplace. X'hawn concentrated until he felt his strength gather and pulse in his fingertips, then gave it one last little push. A burst of orange light left his hand and burst into merry flames where a moment ago there had been nothing but dying coals.

X'hawn slipped his mitten back on, adjusted his blankets, and sat back to watch another episode of the physically deformed human show. He got engrossed in it, and didn't hear Tim approach until he was already sitting on the couch next to him.

"Hey X'hawn."

X'hawn smiled brightly at his friend, and quickly turned off the television. "Hello Tim! How were your classes?"

Tim groaned and rolled his eyes. "Brutal. Kinda making me reconsider whether I want to keep going and getting a PHd after this. But I can whine about that later. I've got some news."

"Batman found the bad guys?" he asked hopefully.

"He got one of them. They scattered, so it's going to take awhile longer than we wanted to get them all. But he will, don't worry about that. Anyway, that's only part of it. The real news is that the request he put through as Bruce Wayne to be your guardian was approved. So now you have a visa, a legal residence, and you're on your way to becoming a US citizen."

X'hawn smiled, but his joy was mixed with deep sorrow. He couldn't help but recall everything he'd lost. "I'll finally have a people again."

Tim gently gripped his shoulder through all the blankets. "I'm sorry. I can't begin to imagine everything you've gone through, but I do know what it's like to lose family and friends. Bruce helped me and Dick forge new roots and futures for ourselves when we needed it, and we're all here for you now."

X'hawn scooched over to Tim's cushion and gave him an awkward hug as best he could with all his layers. "Thank you so much Tim...I do appreciate everything you've all done for me."

"I know." Tim squeezed him back, then shifted back so they were looking each other in the eye again. "I talked to a buddy of mine who has some connections with a research lab. He's gonna see if he can hook you up with a suit that'll help you deal with Earth's comparitively cool climate. If it works out, I wanna bring you around town and show you some of my hangouts."

"That sounds wonderful! Tim...may I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Um...I know you said that Batman is to be my guardian...would it be possible for you to be my guardian instead? I-if it's a problem then forget I said anything."

Tim looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "So you're lonely?"

"A-a bit. I like talking to you. It's easier than talking to Batman or Robin."

"You know, Bruce isn't as scary as he'd have criminals believe. Damian's a pill though, you're right there. I'll see what I can do for you. I've gotta talk it over with my girlfriend first though."

"If it's a problem-"

Tim silenced him with a slightly exasperated looking smile. "X'hawn, don't worry. I'd love to have you come live with me and Tam. We have way too much space for just the two of us anyway, and we get lonely sometimes too. Company would be awesome."

X'hawn nodded, a wavery smile on his face, and looked down so Tim wouldn't see the tears shining in his large, orange eyes. After a moment, he trusted his voice to speak again without wavering. "I have another question."

"Alright..."

"What physical condition gives humans yellow skin and spiked or blue tinted hair? It seems unusual, except on this animated program that depicts it as the norm."

"Huh? Oh, X'hawn, that's just an artistic thing. Remember how I told you not everything on television is true?"

"Oh yeah. Blue hair would be pretty though."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian's mood didn't improve much with a week's distance from Dick's announcement. After he'd heard some gossip on the Watchtower about Red Arrow and Nightwing having a fight, he hoped that Dick would change his mind about moving. However, the next time he'd visited the dense idiot half his possessions had been boxed up, dashing that hope to pieces.

He was really going through with it.

Damian was more than happy to take his anger out on the superstitious and cowardly. His patrol quickly devolved from looking for people who needed help to looking for people who needed a punch in the face. His father would have been angry with him, but his father was currently traveling to countries that refused to extradite for the sake of the alien whelp and so wasn't in a position to know. Besides, Damian wasn't the only Wayne who unleashed his temper on petty criminals.

After a few hours of this, Damian hopped onto a favorite perch of his atop the Gotham Art Museum for a breather. His comm went off, and against his better judgement he answered it. "Yes?"

"Hiya Robin!" Impulse chirped, overly loud and accompanied by the noise of rushing wind.

Damian suppressed a groan. Comms were supposed to be used for business, but he doubted very much that that's what Irey West was contacting him for. "What is it?" he snapped.

"I just need to talk to you for a quick minute. I'm already in Gotham. Where are you?"

Damian thought about it for half a minute and decided that it would be quicker to just see the girl rather than taking the time to deter her. Besides, on the occasions when he wasn't in a foul mood he almost enjoyed Impulse's company. "I'm at the art museum."

"Cool! Be there in a-"

And then she was standing in front of him. "Flash!"

He always forgot exactly how perky Irey was until actually faced with the girl.

Damian clipped his comm back into his belt and regarded her with some impatience. "Well? What did you wish to speak to me about?"

"Two things. Uh, I'll start with the business-y one since you look kinda cranky. I was thinking of trying to start up a Teen Titans group again."

Damian frowned, and Irey's face fell. Since Drake and his generation had hit their twenties and disbanded the group, there had been several attempts to restart the iconic superhero team with a new lineup. None had lasted more than a few weeks. "Who do you propose we put on the team?" Damian asked pointedly.

"Well, you and me obviously," Irey said. "But I was thinking that that Tamaranian kid you guys just rescued-"

"X'hawn may have powers, but at the moment he's a civilian. He doesn't know how to use them and requires some time to train."

"Oh. Well, well part of the purpose of the Teen Titans is to train."

Damian shook his head. "That stopped being true sometime during the previous generation's team. That generation saw a loss of life equal to the Justice League, and at some points even more severe. The Titans aren't a training team Impulse. They see too much action, and we cannot take on the burden of rookies. I'm sorry, but until there are more seasoned heroes our age I don't think it's going to happen."

Which was a shame. Damian desperately wanted the experience of leading a team of superheroes before he became an official memeber of the Justice League.

Irey looked disappointed, but she nodded. "I guess you're right. I just hoped...I wanna be on a team! I like working with my dad and my cousin and everything, but I'm sick of being talked down to just because I'm a kid. You only talk down to me because you do that with everyone, so I don't mind it as much."

Damian was taken aback by the oddly worded...come to think of it, he couldn't tell if that was a compliment or not. He did understand and sympathize with the emotion behind her words though. There weren't many heroes their age, and civilian agemates were incapable of empathizing with them over many things. In a very real sense he and Irey were alone.

Irey sighed loudly, bringing him out of his thoughts, and handed him an envelope she'd been fiddling with since the start of their conversation. "Okay, well here's the other thing. Me and Jai turn fifteen this weekend and you're invited to our party. I know you're probably not interested, but I just thought I'd ask."

Damian glanced down at the invitation. Since they'd known each other, he'd been to three of Irey and Jai's birthday parties. "Why wouldn't I be interested?"

"Because the wedding's the very next weekend, and I kinda figured two social events in one month would make your antisocial Robin-y head explode."

"Wedding?" he asked blankly.

Irey looked at him in some surprise. "Yeah...Wondergirl and Superboy are getting married. Didn't they invite you?"

"I'd known they were engaged, but I haven't heard anything about a wedding."

"That's funny...they invited all of us speedsters. You should ask your dad about that. I'da thought they'd invite all the Bats too. Well anyway, if you wanna come to our party you should. It'd be cool to hang out without costumes sometime. I guess I should let you get back to your patrol."

For a moment (a highly irrational moment) Damian was tempted to ask the girl to stay. Though her energy and chatter could be irksome, Damian generally liked Impulse; she was difficult to offend and laughed off his social awkwardness with gentle good humor. Still though, his instincts kicked in and he only curtly nodded. Impulse took off in a burst of red and white, and Damian spent the next ten minutes trying to puzzle out the uncomfortable lurching sensation in his stomach.

Eventually he realized he was lonely.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick spent some time on the Watchtower and consequently got in pretty late. He'd gotten pulled into back to back teamups, one with Superboy and Wondergirl (who had alternated between being sickeningly adorable about their upcoming wedding and trying to bleed him for gossip about his situation with Roy), and then with Donna, Vic, Grace and Thunder.

Thankfully, Grace and Thunder's blatant sexual tension drew more attention than the allure of discussing Dick's personal life. Grace still asked him what he'd done to fuck things up with a guy who'd been gagging for him since he was a teenager a couple times though. Dick had forgotten how much he disliked working with that harpy.

He teleported back to his apartment with the intention of curling up with a good book and passing out. Unfortunately, all of his books were already packed, which killed that plan. He really couldn't wait until he was settled into his new place.

Even though things hadn't worked out exactly as he'd hoped (in that Roy had been an enormous asshat about it), Dick was excited about moving back to New York. He didn't like sharing a city with Bruce, and the strain of helping the man regulate his relationship with his son was starting to grate on Dick. Bruce and Damian still hadn't learned how to communicate with each other; they'd learned how to rely on Dick to do the messy emotional work for them. They were both old enough to handle things on their own at this point, but they'd never bother learning how to work with each other if he stayed in the picture. He really wouldn't be doing either of them any favors if he stayed.

Dick peeled himself out of his sweaty costume, showered, and trudged into his room fully naked to grab pajama pants and fall into bed. To his annoyance (and an insult to his barely existant sense of modesty) there was already someone in his bed.

He pulled on the pajama pants and a sweatshirt as quickly as he could, then went over to his bed and gave the slumbering teen's shoulder a shake. "Damian...hey. What are you doing here? Besides breaking and entering, anyway."

Damian blinked at him sleepily, and for a moment he looked almost innocent. Then that hard look of defensiveness settled onto his face. He stiffly sat up while Dick settled down at the foot of the bed. "Hey."

"Hello," Damian answered in a low voice, thick from sleep. "What time is it?"

"Almost four. I was planning on going to bed..."

"Sorry. I'll go."

Dick grabbed his wrist. "That's not what I was saying. Just, if there's something you needed, can you tell me quickly?"

He watched as Damian struggled with some sort of inner conflict. Dick waited patiently, and after a moment Damian grimly pressed his lips together, amber eyes turned downwards. "Is there any chance you'd reconsider your decision to move?"

"Not really. I'm sorry Damian, but I need to do this for myself. I-" he stopped himself just before blurting out the truth; that he'd put his life on hold for Bruce and for Damian for almost seven years now. "I just need my own space. That doesn't mean I don't want to see you though. It's not that far away."

"I suppose not. But I still feel like we won't see each other nearly as frequently. I know it shouldn't bother me, but it still does and I'm having a difficult time making it stop."

Dick smiled sadly. "That's a good thing. I'm going to miss you too."

"Then you shouldn't leave," Damian said, some annoyance filtering into his tone.

"But I need to."

"Why? Harper rejected you. Moving to his former city won't change that."

Dick scowled. "I'm not moving just because-because I'd hoped it would help things with him-"

"I still don't get why you're trying so hard with that oaf. He's not deserving of your attention."

"Well who is?" Dick snapped, at the end of his patience. He'd been having this argument with Damian off and on since their Batman and Robin days, and frankly he was done with it.

Possibly because he wasn't fully awake, or because he was uncharacteristically emotional, or for a variety of reasons he couldn't name, Damian blurted out an answer. "Well what about me?"

Their widened eyes locked, expressions both set in shock. Damian was the first to recover his senses, face haunted and caramel skin flushed. "I-I did not mean...that. That was rambling nonesense." He was across the room before Dick recovered enough to do more than gape at him in shock.

Damian all but fled the apartment.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How did I not see it?" Dick asked hollowly, for possibly the hundredth time.

He was at Donna's house, and they were supposed to be wrapping presents for the West twins' birthday party and for Conner and Cassie's wedding. Donna had three beautifully wrapped gifts sitting in front of her so far, while Dick was still on his first one. Shaking her head, she got up and went to the kitchen to make him a mug of cocoa.

She should have known better. Whenever she tried to spend some time with one of the boys as friends, inevitably they had some sort of personal crisis to discuss with the Mother Hen of the Titans. At least Dick wasn't asking her for advice about Roy though.

"You didn't see it because this is completely unexpected Dick. From what you've said so far, Damian didn't even seem to be aware of his feelings until he spoke."

"He shuns self reflection. I still should have noticed. You just-I can't make you appreciate how awkward Damian is. And now he's going to shut down on me. By not nipping this in the bud years ago I've messed this up. I'm hurting him. He's going to withdraw more and more, and it'll be my fault."

With great restraint, Donna kept from rolling her eyes. "Sweetie, this is the reason you were leaving, remember? You know it's not fair for you to burden yourself with all the responsibility for Damian's social progress."

Dick followed her into the kitchen and paced while she made the cocoa. "Fuck puberty. It really ruins everything."

Donna laughed. "See, now I can't help but remember when you were Damian's age-"

Dick groaned. "Please don't bring that up-"

"And you thought that you were in love with-"

"Donna!"

"Bruce," she finished, speaking over him.

"I was infatuated, and I didn't know the difference. It was still painful, and he handled it like ass. It sucked."

"Mm hm. But did Bruce pulling away help or hurt? Don't you think that if he hadn't panicked when he found out, but continued supporting you until you got a better grip on your feelings...?"

Dick shook his head. "That may have worked for me, but it won't help with Damian. We're too different."

"Uh huh," Donna murmured. She poured hot water into each of their mugs and handed one off to him. "I think you just made a self fulfilling prophecy there buddy boy."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick moved to New York on Wednesday. Thursday night, Damian walked down to the Cave just before his first guranteed patrol with only his father for (theoretical) company. He found Bruce sitting at the computer, double checking intel in preparation.

"Father, I appear to be bisexual. Convention dictates I inform you. Therefore, consider me henceforth out of the pantry."

"Closet," Bruce corrected without diverting his eyes from the screen. "Duly noted. Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes."

"Alright, let's go."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian wasn't sure about attending the birthday party. He didn't want to run into Dick so soon and have the well intentioned doofus attempt a misguided heart to heart about Damian's slip up. He'd thought about it more, and it really had been poor impulse control combined with exhaustion and loneliness, but Grayson was an emotional sort of person and would be determined to read more into it than Damian had meant.

He wasn't in love with Dick, though he did have strong, familial type feelings for him.

Lust on the other hand...Damian hadn't thought about it much before, but now that he'd allowed himself to consider the possibility he realized he was physically attracted to Dick. He'd just never considered the possibility of desiring males before, since he intended to marry a woman and raise an heir and a traditional family once he was a bit older. He'd already picked out his intended bride, but since she was still rather young he knew better than to act on his plans until she was an age appropriate by American cultural standards. He would begin courting Lian when she turned sixteen, marry her by eighteen, and they could start their family shortly thereafter. Hopefully he'd begin training an acceptable heir before he turned thirty.

What Damian had never considered before was the possibility of having other partners during the four years he waited for Lian to grow up. Now that he was thinking about it, he realized that Jai West was reasonably age appropriate and quite attractive (a bit thin maybe, but there was a sort of beauty to his slender form). They had decent conversations, and he was pretty sure the other teen was also attracted to men and already interested in him. The next opportunity to test this was at Jai and his sister's birthday party.

After much internal struggle, Damian finally decided to go to the party, and was glad he did. Dick wasn't there. Coward (even if Damian had almost avoided the thing as well, Dick was still a coward).

It was a simple little barbecue in the Wests' backyard. The twins' father served everyone charred hamburgers (Damian fed his to Krypto), and various superheroes and their spouses drifted around the yard, all in their civilian identities and freely socializing. Damian leaned against a tree and watched.

His eyes kept lingering on Lian, who was again wearing more makeup and jewelry than Damian preferred to see on girls, but he was almost sure at this point that it was an artistic affectation. She was also wearing a patterned scarf with an eccentric looking skirt, and her fingers were stained with oil pastels. She spent most of the party with Irey, laughing and telling stories, except for the few times she ran over to spontaneously tackle her father or gently tease him. Of course Harper would be there.

Maybe that's why Dick hadn't come.

Damian did notice though, that Jai's eyes kept finding their way over to Damian's tree.

The sulky looking teen didn't look overly entertained by the little barbecue. Damian approached him and quietly suggested they leave. At first Jai only stared at him, and Damian worried he'd somehow offended the other boy. Then after a few false starts Jai managed to choke out an answer. "S-sure. There's, um, there's a park up the street. We could take a walk, I guess. If you want to."

"That suits my intentions. Alright, let's walk."

Damian tried to engage Jai in conversation throughout their walk up the street, but Jai was proving to be worse of a conversationalist than he was. He kept staring at Damian and seemed to lose his sentences without really hearing them.

By the time they got to the park Damian decided to do what came natural and be blunt about it.

"You've been eyeing me in a provocative manner."

Jai's eyebrows shot up and he took a cautious step back. Damian wasn't very good at discerning the difference between certain subtly different emotional states (something he needed competent formal training on for the sake of interrogations; he just didn't believe Dick when he said normal social interactions would teach Damian what he wanted to know). From what he could tell, the boy was either nervous or experiencing a painful stomach cramp.

Considering what Damian had said, nervous was more likely. Damn. He'd only been trying to break the ice.

"I-I wasn't checking you out dude. Because that would be gay."

"Oh. Perhaps I've misread you then. I'd thought you were latently homosexual. My apologies." Damian started to walk away, intending to reassess the other guests at the party, but he turned around at Jai's next words.

"Wait…did you want me to be gay?"

Damian regarded him with some impatience. "This conversation serves no purpose if you're heterosexual. Now, are you or aren't you?"

Jai chewed his lip. "Yeah, I'm gay. You're, uh, not gonna tell anyone, are you?"

"You know, I came out to my father this week. It wasn't nearly as difficult as sources led me to believe."

Jai's eyes widened. "So you're really gay too?"

"No. I'm bisexual, and I've decided to engage in experimentation with an age appropriate partner to distract me from an inappropriate infatuation."

He wasn't entirely certain Jai was following him, but Damian honestly wasn't sure how to be more clear. "Uh…do you mean me?" the boy finally asked.

Damian wasn't sure how to answer in a way that would still make himself attractive to his potential partner, so he settled on the non-verbal and nodded.

A slow smile spread on Jai's very full lips, and for a moment he looked as attractive as Damian had found him before pursuing an extended private conversation with him. Then something troubled passed through those entrancing green flecked golden eyes. "Wait a minute, why me? You don't even like me."

"That's a bit overstated, but I would think my reasoning is fairly obvious," Damian said irritably.

Jai narrowed his eyes. "Well you're wrong, because I don't get it. Why me?"

"You're available, attractive, and seemed open to the idea," Damian explained.

For some reason, Jai seemed to take offense to his observations.

"Wow. You're actually even more of a jack ass than I'd heard." And that removed any ambiguity surrounding his response.

Damian started, regarding him in some surprise. "I've offended you? How?"

"You just called me a slut!"

"No I didn't. When did I say that?"

"Well you implied it!"

"How?"

"By assuming that I'd mess around with you just because I'm single! You know what? Fuck you! I'm not your god damn slut, and you know what else Wayne, you are not better than me, so don't try to do me any fucking favors, or take pity on me with a fling just because I was checking you out!" And then the other teen turned on his heel and left.

Damian stared after him in some surprise. "I really need to learn how to communicate more effectively."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick discovers he only has three hobbies. Damian looks after Jai.

Chapter Twelve

Dick flopped onto his couch and let out a sigh of contentment. His new apartment was already mostly set up and blessedly empty. He'd spent the better part of Saturday moving in all the big furniture with Wally and Donna's help while Wally's friend Piper set up his electronics for him. Sunday day had been spent unpacking and reorganizing, and Sunday night was for relaxing. He'd promised himself that Nightwing wouldn't hit the rooftops until Monday at the absolute earliest.

However, Dick wasn't used to taking this much time for himself, and after twenty minutes of relaxing he started feeling anxious.

"Dammit." He got off the couch and was halfway to his bedroom when he forced himself to turn around and head back into the living room. "You promised yourself Grayson. No costumed adventuring tonight."

He always said he didn't have enough time to do things he enjoyed. What was it he liked doing again? He'd already read for three hours.

He liked reading, he liked sex…he liked punching bad guys.

Damn. He had to have more hobbies than that (could sex even count as a hobby?)

Dick flipped upside down with his legs swung over the back of the couch and stared at the ceiling. He supposed he could take his free time and fix one of his fractured personal relationships. "Alright, who am I hiding from at the moment?" For once he was actually in pretty good standing with Bruce, so that left Barbara (no), Damian, or Roy.

Dick thought about it for a minute, then fished out his phone and called Damian.

"That was quick," Damian said sharply, answering after the first ring.

"What was quick?" Dick asked.

"You seeking out company after running away for 'personal space'. You're going to become unbearably clingy, you do realize that don't you?"

Dick smirked. "I think you'll manage. You wanna hang out? I've still got some leftover pizza from my moving buddies."

"I'd rather not."

"Really?" Dick asked, surprised. He swung his legs around the couch and righted his position. "But you spent all last week bitching about me moving."

"Yes, but then we had that troubling exchange and I don't want to deal with you wasting half the night bothering me about perceived emotional distress."

"Well we need to talk about it eventually," Dick pointed out.

There was a brief pause, and when Damian spoke again he sounded annoyed. "I suppose. Fine, I'm on my way."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick's new apartment really wasn't that far away from Gotham. New York was almost a straight shot once Damian got on the highway, and he was there in less than three hours. Parking was a bit difficult, and Dick lived on the fifteenth floor of his building so there was a bit of an elevator ride, but other than those minor annoyances commuting to see him wasn't actually a horrendous difficulty.

He was never going to admit that though.

Dick answered the door wearing low riding cotton sleep pants and an old t-shirt with a loose collar. Now that Damian was aware of his sexual attraction to the man, he wished he'd dress and behave a bit more modestly. This was uncomfortable enough without Dick looking all tousled, like he'd just climbed out of bed...

Great, now Damian was thinking about what it would be like to lie in bed with Dick.

Well that was disconcerting.

He brushed past Dick without comment and walked around the main room, observing Dick's new residence. Dick kicked the door shut and followed after him. "So what do you think?"

"Functional. I suppose I could spend some time here."

Dick laughed. "Glad I got the Robin stamp of approval. Did you actually want my leftover pizza or should I order you something? I haven't gotten around to food shopping yet."

Damian glanced disdainfully at the pizza box sitting on the coffee table, and Dick walked into the kitchen to place an order for delivery. While he was away Damian strolled around the room, running his hand along the spines of some of the many books crowding Dick's shelves, picking up the occasional framed photo, and wishing the comfortable looking living room was in a building in Gotham where it belonged.

Dick returned a moment later and sat down on his couch. Damian didn't join him, but stood in front of the window instead. "So what do you feel needs to be said?" Damian asked.

Dick leaned back and stared at the ceiling as he let out a loud, exasperated breath. "You really think we don't need to talk about this?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Damian pointed out. "I didn't think you'd be reasonable enough to let it go."

"Damian, you said you were in love with me."

"No I did not."

Dick sat up straight and stared at him. "Yeah you did!"

"No," Damian insisted. "While I was in a state of exhaustion and feeling emotionally vulnerable I implied that…that I would be a more appropriate partner for you than Red Arrow. Which is true, actually. Very few people wouldn't be more appropriate partners for you than Harper. However, I've done some reflection and I've satisfied myself that I'm not in love with you."

"O-oh. Well that was quick."

Damian nodded. "I do find you attractive though, so if you don't mind, could you kindly tone down your more wanton tendencies in my company until I've moved past this particular stage of my sexual development? You're not exactly an ideal target for my desire you know."

For some reason, Dick looked troubled by Damian's words. Considering the look on his face when Damian had made his impulsive declaration, Damian would have thought Dick to be comforted by his lack of interest.

"Kay, ouch. You know Damian, I've spent all weekend working on ways to let you down gently. You could have returned the favor and come up with something better than 'nope, you're too much of a slut for me'."

Damian smirked. "Well you are."

Dick tossed a throw pillow at him. "You're such a brat!"

Damian easily avoided the pillow, relief washing through him. Things felt normal again. He sat down next to Dick, and his eyes only lingered on the exposed skin of Dick's throat and collar bone for a moment before he met his eyes.

"You know, you're the second person I've inadvertently called a slut in the past twenty four hours. Any advice on avoiding that particular slight?"

For some reason Dick found that comment hilarious. He doubled over and almost fell off the couch. Scowling, Damian crossed his arms in a huff. "I wasn't being facetious."

"Sorry, sorry." Dick sat up straight and tried to regard Damian with a somber expression, but there was still mirth dancing in his eyes. "Who else did you call a slut?"

Damian quickly related the story about his encounter with Jai West. To his credit, Dick only burst into giggles twice, and when Damian assaulted him with throw pillows and then threatened to get a batarang he managed to get control over his emotions.

"Alright, well, what is it you want to do with Jai, exactly?" Dick asked.

Damian rolled his eyes. "I'd thought that was clear."

"It really isn't. Jai didn't get your message, did he?" Dick pointed out, and Damian slumped down against the couch, feeling defensive.

"I suppose not," he admitted after a moment of indignant silence. "I was hoping to…I suppose I wanted to…you know, I'm not entirely sure."

Dick nodded. "Thought so. Do you want to date him?"

"Possibly. Certainly not anything long term though."

"Okay, so tell him you want to get to know him a little better, maybe go on a few dates. I'm not sure if you noticed this Damian, but a lot of people like a little romance before they jump to the sexual propositioning."

"I suppose this is your strong suit. You know, promiscuity."

Dick winked at him. Then it was his turn to sink down into the couch cushion, only he sighed dejectedly instead of scowling. "So tonight I realized I have exactly three hobbies, and being a wanton slut is actually one of them. I need to get out more."

"You go out on patrol every night."

"Didn't mean that one in the literal sense Damian. I was thinking of expanding my horizons beyond sex, reading, and crime fighting."

Damian shrugged. "To each his own, but I happen to be satisfied with two out of those three hobbies. I'm considering expanding my horizons to include the third though."

Dick smirked. "Did you let Bruce know he needs to have 'the talk' with you yet?"

Damian frowned at him. "I let Father know I was bisexual. There was no follow up talk. What was he supposed to tell me?"

To Damian's surprise, Dick jumped up off the couch and started swearing as he paced around the room. "He's really leaving this one for me too? That's not fucking fair!"

"Grayson, what on earth are you going on about now?"

Dick scrubbed a hand through his hair and then sat down on the arm of his couch, facing Damian. "Apparently I get to give you the second half of the birds and the bees speech."

Damian regarded him blankly. "No need. You weren't exactly enlightening after I walked in on you and Harper when I was a child, and Mother did an even worse job of it before that. I conducted my own research. I know the mechanics of human sexual expression and require no further intervention, al-hamdu l'illah."

Dick rolled his eyes. "Right, so you've got the dry, boring mechanics. There's more to it than that."

"I also familiarized myself with sexually transmitted diseases and methods of prevention. Though from what I've read of Father's file on you, you could use a refresher."

Dick spluttered indignantly at that. "I always use protection! Those things just aren't one hundred percent. Did Bruce really record me getting syph?"

"Of course."

"Well I got treated."

"He recorded that as well," Damian said patiently. Dick flipped him off and Damian threw a throw pillow at him. "Anyway, I'm reasonably sure I can handle all of this on my own without further awkward conversations. I'm seventeen. I'm not exactly a child."

Dick sighed. "I noticed. However, your research didn't help you when you tried to talk to Jai, now did it?"

Damian decided to cede him a point. "Alright, what do you suggest?"

Dick leaned forward. "I need you to promise me something before I teach you how to charm my best friend's son though."

"What are your conditions?" Damian asked.

"Don't use what I teach you to hurt him. He's already pretty sensitive, and he's got a huge crush on you."

"He had an odd way of showing it," Damian replied sourly.

"People are funny like that. Damian, promise me you won't hurt him."

"I'll do my best."

"Okay. Well, tip one. This should go without saying, but you really should open with a compliment next time."

Damian felt a stab of indignation. "I suggested engaging in sexual exploration! Isn't it implicit that I find him attractive and enjoy his company?"

"And yet he thought you were calling him a slut..."

"Alright, I'll compliment him. What else?"

"Try a few romantic gestures. But don't go over the top, guys shut down if they think you're trying to feminize them."

"I need specifics here Grayson. Wait, before you continue, do you have a notebook and a pen?"

"Yeah, I'll be right back."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a few hours of humiliating discussion, Damian was reasonably sure about what he'd done wrong in his first attempt to seduce Jai West. He had a strategy for the next time he saw the other teen, but he wasn't sure when that would be.

He'd asked his father about it, and Damian was the only member of the Batfamily that hadn't been invited to Superboy and Wondergirl's wedding. Seems where Drake was the best man and everyone knew Damian didn't get along with him, it had been thought better to exclude him from the event entirely. Damian saw the logic, but he still found it insulting.

His father offered to skip the wedding and remain in Gotham with him, but Damian got the feeling that had more to do with Bruce's desire to avoid the large social gathering than spend quality time with his son, so he declined the offer.

It really wasn't that big a deal. Damian had never been close to Conner Kent or Cassandra Sandsmark (he supposed it would be Cassandra Kent now though). And besides that, it wasn't a sound idea to have all of Gotham's guardians up on the Watchtower at the same time. Someone had to protect the city.

There weren't any other social events coming up for quite some time, so Damian figured his best bet was to make an excursion to Keystone City and seek Jai out himself. He had no real excuse for doing so, so rather than wait for a pretense to present itself he simply excused himself from patrol for the Friday night before the wedding and took a personal night off to go to Kansas.

He inquired at the West home and was informed that Jai was out for the night (thankfully so was Irey, otherwise he'd have been pulled into a lengthy and undesirable conversation). Damian politely excused himself from Mrs. West's home, then snuck back into Jai's bedroom and looked for clues.

He hadn't been in the teen's bedroom in years. It was much more cluttered than Damian's, but not messy. Jai had a lot of electronic devices, as well as CDs (many of them clearly burned and labeled in the same unfamiliar handwriting), comic books, and frivolous possessions related to personal grooming. While Damian was looking over one of Jai's two computer desks he found a framed picture of Jai as a child standing with a man he didn't immediately recognize. They were both holding custom designed flutes and smiling proudly.

The flute clued him in, and Damian finally recognized the man from his perusal of Batman's files. It was the Pied Piper, though obviously dressed as a civilian. Damian knew the reformed criminal turned hero was a family friend of the Wests' but hadn't been aware that Jai specifically had a bond with him (it was the only framed picture in the bedroom). Perhaps that would be useful later.

There was a flyer for a nightclub sitting on the desk. The address was circled and a note had been scrawled on it. "Doesn't card. Hit up Friday with Luke." Damian sighed. "Wonderful." West had left evidence of his intentions to engage in illicit activities in plain sight where his parents could happen upon it at any moment.

Perhaps he was making a mistake. Maybe West was too stupid to be a suitable partner.

Still, it's not like Damian was overrun with better options. He pocketed the flyer, climbed out the window, and went in search of the establishment that was known not to check identification.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian was crouched on the roof of a neighboring building to the club Jai had selected, investigating it before he committed himself to entering and finding the other teen. He wasn't especially comfortable in nightclubs and preferred to avoid them when he had the option.

This one looked similar to locations in Gotham he frequented during his crime fighting activities. Something occurred to him: Jai was also the child of a respected superhero; perhaps he was at the club to investigate and not to be reckless and foolish?

Almost as soon as he had that thought, Damian observed movement from one of the club's rear exits. As he watched, a group of young men wearing their ill intentions on their sleeves left the club for a deserted alley, one of them dragging Jai West. It was as if Damian had summoned him.

"Good, he's found a group of suspicious men. He really is undercover," Damian mumbled to himself. West was a good actor; he was doing a convincing job of feigning inebriation.

He was also quite skilled at blending into his environment. Damian always had difficulty adopting the dress and mannerisms appropriate to underage club clientele when he worked undercover in Gotham, but Jai had done an excellent job with his attire, hair styling, and even a bit of makeup. Perhaps all the grooming items in his bedroom weren't entirely frivolous.

He wanted to believe that Jai was working so badly that it took Damian observing one of the strange men groping Jai while he ineffectually flailed and whined at them for him to admit that this was a crime in progress and not an undercover investigation. Damian leapt into the alley and made quick work of the young men, then hauled Jai to his feet by his shoulders and spun him against the wall.

"Just what in the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

"H-huh?" Jai gasped. "Oh no, Damerob'n? M'not in Gotham, am I?"

Damian released his hold and Jai slumped against him before he got his feet under him. "Whoops."

"In this state, I probably could get you to Gotham if I wanted to. It would be the definition of neglect to leave you alone like this, wouldn't it? Little boy, may I tempt you into my vehicle? I have candy. And puppies," Damian sneered.

Jai peered at him in some confusion. "You don't haff a dog, tha's Superboy. He does. Heyas Krypto."

"Just come with me." Damian grabbed Jai's arm and roughly dragged him from the alley.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jai woke up in a strange bed with a muddled understanding of what had happened the previous night. Meeting up with Luke and Shane was pretty vivid, but once they'd gotten to the bar and he'd had a few drinks things got hazier.

That wasn't right. Jai wasn't a heavy drinker or anything (since that would be wrong, what with him being underage and all), but he knew he could handle more than the two fruity little chick drinks Luke had bought him. Had someone slipped him something?

Panic set in as Jai realized he wasn't wearing the clothes he'd gone to the club in. He slapped his hands to his chest and felt along his torso, rubbing the unfamiliar fabric of an unfamiliar t-shirt.

Wait, what the hell kind of rapist took their victim to a posh hotel room, cleaned them up, and dressed them in comfortable pajamas?

Jai got out of the massive bed he'd been sleeping in and poked his head out the bedroom door to investigate.

His mouth went dry when he saw what was in the living room: Damian Wayne shirtless and doing pushups, golden hued skin slick with sweat. For a few minutes Jai could only watch the flexing of Damian's muscular physique, struck dumb with lust.

What the hell had he done last night?

"And just how long are you planning on lurking in the doorway gawking at me?"

Startled, Jai jumped backwards, tripped on the too-long sweatpants he was wearing and fell over, landing painfully on his ass. "Urgh…"

Damian walked over to him, wiping the sweat from his pornographically perfect body with a towel. He glanced down at Jai with that haughty, disdainful expression that always made Jai want to impress him. Jai's mouth was hanging open. He was aware of it, but couldn't get himself to close it. Not when Damian was so close and half naked like that.

"I contacted your parents and invented a plausible excuse about requiring your assistance for a case, so you have an alibi for last night and this morning."

"O-oh."

"In return for this, I'd like to discuss your behavior."

Damn. Jai unsteadily rose to his feet, determined not to take whatever Damian was going to say to him literally lying down. "What about it?"

Damian narrowed his eyes. "Do you even know how you behaved last night?"

"I had actually been wondering about that," Jai said with mock cheerfulness.

Damian didn't look amused. "You put yourself in harm's way and, being the child of a superhero, I can only assume this was a deliberate action. You imbibed a dangerous substance, hopefully unknowingly, and would have been preyed upon by unsavory men had I not intervened."

"Thank you?"

Damian's glare got scarier by a few notches. Jai hesitantly took a step back. "Uh…thank you kindly? Damian, I don't know what you want me to say."

Damian's voice got so low it was almost a Bat-growl (and Jai was a little frightened of himself for being turned on by it). "You're going to swear to me that you'll never behave so recklessly again. You know better than that West. Whereas I do rescue civilians on a regular basis, it helps if those who know better don't go looking for trouble."

"Plus I'm guessing Keystone City is a bit of a commute."

"Don't get snippy with me. Those men last night could have done anything with you. They were at least planning on raping you. You owe me Jai, now promise. Promise me you're not going to put yourself in danger like that again."

Jai tried to speak, but faltered. He lied to his parents about this sort of thing all the time, hell he even lied to Irey. So why couldn't he just tell Damian that from here on out he'd be a good little boy?

Jai looked away, then retreated further into the room and sat on the bed. Damian shut the door, tossed the towel aside, and stood in front of him imposingly. "So you're telling me I should have left you in the alley? Because clearly your life wasn't worth saving if you're going to just do the same damn thing again."

"What can I say? I'm in my nihilistic phase."

"Well get out of it."

"It's not that simple!" Jai snapped. "I'm depressed."

"Over what?" Damian asked.

Jai looked up at him in exasperation. "I don't know! Stuff. I can't help it, I just get upset and I either don't want to leave my room or I need to get the fuck away and do something crazy. Why do you care anyway? I thought all you wanted out of me was a fuck. Well if that was the case you probably should have taken your chance last night-urgkh!"

Damian grabbed Jai by the shirt collar and slammed him into the wall. His eyes were terrifying, and very close to Jai's (incidentally Damian was taller than Jai by quite a few inches, so for them to be eye level Jai's feet were dangling above the carpet). "I would never do anything like that."

That was a full Batman growl.

God help the criminals of Gotham when Damian Wayne took over for his father.

"I-I wa-would ne-s-s-sorry!" Jai finally gasped. Damian let go of him and he fell to the floor, unable to get his feet under him in time. His eyes welled with tears and he hid his face. "I'm sorry Damian. I don't mean to be such a mess. A-and I do appreciate you saving me, really."

Damian sat down on the end of the bed with his hands clasped together, holding his arms so that his hands hung limply between his knees. Jai recognized the way his fingers were locked together with his thumbs touching; it was a meditation pose. He must have gotten under Damian's skin.

"If what you say is true and you are depressed, there's likely a biological cause to it. You should inform your parents and seek out treatment." Damian's voice had lost that frighteningly angry edge, and Jai hesitantly sat up, watching him cautiously.

"I tried talking to them about it once. They didn't really believe me. Dad said I don't have anything to worry about really, so I should just cheer up and Mom thought it was a phase." At least, that's what Jai was pretty sure they'd have said if he'd actually told them. Huh. The reluctance to lie to Damian cleared up on its own.

"That was foolish of them."

"I guess." Jai self-consciously rubbed at the developing bruise on his backside. "So…um…what now?"

"I'd still like you to swear to me that you'll alter your behavior."

Jai frowned. "I don't wanna lie to you though." He didn't want to lie to Damian a lot, and that was close enough to the truth to count.

"So alter your behavior," Damian said through gritted teeth.

"I guess I can try to be more careful."

"Good. Because if I have to keep visiting Kansas, which is not in the least bit convenient, I am going to be very displeased with you."

"Why the hell do you care so much?" Jai asked. "We're not even friends! First you proposition me, now you're suddenly all concerned about me-where the hell is this coming from?"

For a brief moment Damian looked unsure of himself. It was an expression Jai recognized well, since he saw it in the mirror on a daily basis, but he'd never expected to see it from Damian fucking Wayne. The kid was just made of determination and self-assurance. He had been for as long as Jai had known him, and if Robin doubted himself then nothing in Jai's universe was real.

"I…I'm attracted to you. And I would like to get to know you better. I'm sorry if my language with you at your birthday party was inappropriate. It wasn't my intention to offend you. I've learned since then that I should have begun with a compliment, so here goes. I find your company enjoyable."

Jai shakily stood up, an incredulous smile on his face. "Get out, you're attracted to me? But you're like made of sex!"

Damian regarded him in obvious confusion. "How so?" It wasn't fair of him to say something like that while he was half naked. Damian wasn't blind; he had to know what he looked like!

Jai waved a hand at Damian and stuttered out an explanation. "What do you mean how so? Just look at you! You're all, all tall and built and tho-tha-you're fucking hot, okay?"

Damian smirked, and looked even more like sex than he had already. "I understand that I'm somewhat desirable, but I think you've overestimated me. I'd have thought being made of sex implied some sort of expertise."

"Oh. No, by my definition it just means someone is incredibly fuckable, and that's you."

"I see…well then I suppose by your own definition I would regard you as made of sex, so likewise."

This was getting bizarre. "Damian, I don't know if I can flirt with you. I feel like I need to study up for it first."

"Then let's move things along. I've told you that I would like to become more familiar with you. Would you like to do the same?"

Jai nodded. "Of course. But uh…I don't think we should start with sex."

"That wasn't what I meant to imply when I spoke with you before. I see the merit in courtship."

Jai blinked. "Courtship. You mean dating?"

Damian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'd thought the terms were synonymous."

"Well one of them is archaic. Look at me, I know big words too," Jai teased. He felt an irrational urge to cheer when that provoked a (tiny) smile from Damian. "So you want to date me?"

"Yes…I believe standard protocol suggests dinner and a movie."

"Okay, cool." Jai sat down on the bed next to Damian, fidgeting with his fingers but feeling more excited than nervous. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected the secret object of his lust and affection to ask him out on a date. Maybe he'd been spending too much time with his sister listening to her drone on and on about her stupid crush on that pathetic up and coming supervillain, but he started fantasizing about perfect dates, stolen moments, secret hookups, doing it in the batmobile…

Then Damian punctured the fantasies. "I do feel it necessary to inform you though, that my intentions towards you are not long term."

"H-huh?"

Damian regarded him with an expression of perfect calm, as though they were discussing some kind of business arrangement instead of the start of a relationship. "As I mentioned before, I am bisexual, not homosexual. I intend to one day marry a female, produce an heir, and cultivate a traditional family unit. I wouldn't be able to accomplish these things with a male partner."

"Oh." Jai felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. Something of his feelings must have been showing on his face, because Damian regarded him with an almost gentle expression.

"It's probably best for you to take some time to think this over before you make any commitments. I just felt it was best for you to know this now as opposed to later."

Jai nodded. "Y-yeah. Uh…you're sure you wouldn't, you know, change your mind? Like if we really got along and you…I mean, we could fall in love. You never know."

"No, I don't see myself settling down with a male. I'm rather sure on this point."

Jai nodded, still feeling a bit numb.

Besides, why would Damian change his plans for a fuck up who couldn't even look after himself in a divey little club? At this point in time, Jai wasn't worth the attention of someone like Damian anyway. He'd take what he could get, and maybe someday he'd be a real partner for the gorgeous young man, and then maybe Damian would change his mind…

God, Jai really was as bad as Irey.

"Dinner and a movie probably wouldn't hurt," Jai mumbled.

"Fantastic. I believe you've agreed to attend the wedding tonight, so I'll see you tomorrow night. Unless Sunday is an undesirable night for a date? I have to admit, I've never done this before."

"Sunday's a little weird, but it's okay. Uh…Damian, I'm not out to anyone yet so can you keep this quiet?" He'd only told his sister about being gay, and he'd sworn her to secrecy.

"Coming out of the p-closet really wasn't difficult you know."

"Yeah, well your dad's cold and rational."

"Touché. I'll use discretion."

"Thanks."


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonder Girl and Superboy get married. Roy has a nightmare. Dick calms him down.

Chapter Thirteen

"Lian, they're porting us up to the Watchtower in five minutes. Will you just put on a damn dress and be done with it?"

"I've got my dress on Daddy, it's my stupid hair!" Lian tossed her hairbrush onto the bathroom counter and tugged at her bangs.

"Well you need to be ready to go in less than five minutes. I told you about this last night."

"And I've been trying to get my stupid bangs to behave all morning!" Lian shrieked. "Daddy, I am trying."

Roy leaned against the bathroom doorway, a scowl on his face. "How did I raise such a girl?" He was dressed and ready to go, and had been for the better part of two hours. If this was how much she fussed just as a wedding guest he shuddered to think of how long the prep would be next spring when she was part of the bridal party for Kid Flash and Ravager's wedding.

"Do we have to port up in five minutes?"

"Four minutes now, and yes. Like I told you last night, they've staggered teleportations for all the guests automatically. There is no wiggle room." Roy impatiently watched as she continued to fuss and tweak at her hair. "Will you just throw the brush in your purse and get downstairs? The Watchtower has bathrooms. You can finish up while we're in space."

"Fine!" Lian scooped a bunch of grooming supplies into her bag and trudged down to the living room.

Cassie had come up with the idea of having the wedding on the Watchtower. It was the most secure location anyone could think of, was large enough for all the guests who'd want to attend, and, most importantly, anyone who chose to could attend without a mask.

Lian was wearing a purple dress (tightly fitted but with a long skirt and a respectful bustline-a compromise between father and daughter) with impressive gold heels and complementary jewelry. Roy opted for formal civilian attire as well, though he was tempted to use the prosthetic arm Cyborg had made for him. Ultimately he decided against it and pinned up the sleeve to his dress shirt like always; when he went somewhere as Roy Harper he usually tried to leave Red Arrow's robotic arm behind.

Plus he knew Lian didn't like it, and he didn't want either of them thinking about anything surrounding how he'd lost the arm when they were supposed to be celebrating a marriage.

Lian was checking her makeup in a pocket mirror when they were ported up, right on schedule. She jumped a little and gazed around at their new surroundings.

Roy snorted. "Well they tried."

Donna had attempted to decorate for the event, and she had tried really, really hard, but making the Watchtower look like anything but a superhero base was an impossible task. The floral arrangements Dinah had made for them and the streamers Donna had tacked up just looked odd.

"Lian-Lian-Lian! Comeoverherewithme!" Irey West stopped moving long enough for Roy to register that she was wearing a sparkly red dress instead of her Impulse costume, and then she'd grabbed Lian's arm and they were both gone.

Shaking his head, he started walking after them.

Chairs for the guests were set up in an enormous auditorium style gathering area, with a narrow strip of carpeting splitting them into two sides and leading up to a small platform surrounded by flowers. It was as warm and beautiful as possible given the cold, metallic surfaces of the Watchtower.

Roy spotted Lian sitting with the Wests, no longer fussing over her own hair but now attempting to groom Irey's mess of orange ringlets into some semblance of order. Jai, who had his mother's sleek black hair, was watching in amusement. Roy went to sit with them, glad for the excuse to avoid the knot of Bats on the other side. He'd only gotten a quick look at them out of the corner of his eye, but he thought the group looked a little smaller than usual (though somehow just as scowl-y).

"Hey Dad, do you know why Damian didn't come?" Lian asked.

Roy shrugged. "Must have volunteered to stay behind and watch over Gotham."

"Something like that."

Roy and Lian turned, registering some surprise at hearing such a bitter sounding comment from Bart Allen. The guy was sitting in the row in front of them, slouched over in his seat and looking uncharacteristically upset about something. Roy figured he'd have been annoyingly chipper about two of his best friends getting married.

"Everything okay Bart?" Lian asked.

"Oh yeah, friggin' super."

Irey filled them in with a quick whisper. "He's mad that he couldn't bring his plus one. Cassie finally said she could come, but Rose didn't want to after 'all the drama it created'. I guess they just plain didn't invite Damian, and Bart thinks it's like the same thing."

"Oh," Lian whispered back. "Well I guess I didn't need to spend three hours this morning trying to look fabulous then."

"Excuse me?" Roy snapped.

"Hey Irey, let's talk about anything else. You got to see Cassie's dress already, right? Isn't it pretty?"

The girls started critiquing outfits from there (with Jai actually sneaking in a fair few comments, though his were biting and sarcastic as opposed to his sister's enthusiastic appreciation). Roy risked a glance back towards the Bat-family, and spotted Bruce looking surly in his costume sitting next to Tim's plus one, a pretty looking black girl Roy had never spoken to, but had heard good things about. Tim was standing in the aisle chatting with them, decked out in his best man suit and waiting for things to get started. The little Tamaranian kid finished off their cluster, wide eyed and nervous looking in some kind of futuristic looking jumpsuit.

Dick wasn't with them. Roy frowned, but then figured that though tact wasn't always a strong suit for Dick, Dick was better at it than he was, and he certainly wouldn't start anything uncomfortable at a wedding. This was Conner and Cassie's day and their drama had no business making a cameo.

Then Dick plopped down in the chair next to him, looking suave and sexy in a designer suit and wearing a seldom used cologne that Dick knew for a fact Roy loved.

Prick.

"Hi Uncle Dick," Lian said sweetly, sporting a huge smile.

"Hey Li," Dick answered. "Irey, Jai. You guys look nice. New dresses and whatnot?"

"Yep. You look nice too Uncle Dick," Lian said pointedly, shooting a look at her father. "Doesn't he Daddy? Very handsome."

Roy was seized with an irrational urge to ground Lian for the next decade or so. "Sure."

"You're not looking so bad yourself Roy. Looks like you even shaved and everything. Going all out, huh?"

Roy turned towards Dick, gave him a sarcastic little smile, and then sat stiffly facing front, now looking about as cheerful as Kid Flash. He'd forgotten how much he hated weddings.

"I think it's going to start soon. Uncle Dick, are you sitting with us or Batman?" Lian asked.

"I'd better head back over to my clique, actually. I was just coming by to say hi, see if anyone had gotten friendlier...guess not. See you guys later."

As soon as Dick was gone Lian elbowed Roy in the ribs. He wouldn't have hesitated to elbow her right back, but she was sitting on the wrong side for it. The music started up before he could settle on some way to express his annoyance with his daughter. They watched as various members of the wedding party frantically rushed into place, and then the ceremony started.

Ollie slid into a seat beside Roy as the "ringbearer" (Krypto in a special collar and cape that Mrs. Kent had sewn for the occasion) and "flowergirl" (Streaky in a similar get up) started towards the altar. "You're late," Roy murmured.

"Had to port back home and grab Mia's medication. She forgot it," Ollie whispered back. "Poor kid's having a tough time with this shindig. Doesn't think one of these is in the cards for her. She looks great though."

Roy nodded. The bridesmaids and groomsmen had just started up the aisle. Cassie had selected really flattering dresses for her bridal party; they were a light gold hue, with red sashes and blue floral accessories to represent the Amazonian and Kryptonian family colors. Mia was walking down the aisle with Bart, who looked more like his cheerful self now that the ceremony had actually started.

Donna walked past them with Superman, looking so unearthly gorgeous that Roy was hard pressed to remember he didn't want to rekindle anything with her either, especially when she threw him a particularly warm smile. He didn't recognize the last bridesmaid and groomsman, but had heard that they were civilian friends of Conner's and Cassie's, some kids named Simon and Cissie.

Once the bridesmaids and groomsman joined the groom, Best Man (Tim), and Maid of Honor (Kara) at the altar, the music changed key and everyone turned in their seats to watch Cassie step onto the aisle. She looked absolutely radiant; it was very easy to believe she was part-divine.

Some of that radiance seemed to be rubbing off on her mother, who was walking her down the aisle in the absence of an appropriate father figure. The two women looked so happy…Roy idly wondered if he'd be giving his own little girl away like that one day, or if she'd remain single like him (he scowled at the possibility of leading her down the aisle to Damian).

Diana officiated a short, sweet little ceremony, and then the chairs were cleared away, replaced by tables and a dance floor, and Roy and Ollie staked out a spot in the corner. Roy was immediately put in charge of Lian's purse and shoes (which were apparently far too uncomfortable to actually wear, making him wonder why he'd had to throw down almost a hundred bucks on the damn things).

Connor Hawke came over and joined them, but mostly the awkward little table was given a berth of space. Ollie sighed longingly, eyes glued to where Dinah was walking around the room, still fussing with flowers and centerpieces.

"I'm gonna go get a drink. It's open bar, right?"

Roy rolled his eyes, sure that if it was, Conner and Cassie would be regretting that choice. Connor frowned. "Don't overdo it Dad."

"I'll be fine. You guys want anything?"

They shook their heads, and Ollie took off. When he returned, he not only had his beer but was also clutching a bag of clothes. "Mia," he said by way of explanation, dropping it next to Lian's purse.

Roy scanned the dance floor and located the second Speedy, who was now wearing a less formal dress and dancing with Simon. "Good for her." They comfortably people-watched for awhile, Ollie occasionally looking at Dinah in open longing while Roy tried not to do the same with Dick or Donna.

Then, after a few more drinks, Ollie asked something neither of his companions wanted to hear. "So boys, how long until I have to shell out for one of these things?"

Connor shot a fear filled look Roy's way. "Not it."

"Hey, you're the biological child. You are so it," Roy returned.

"Well son?" Ollie asked.

Connor chewed his lip, then suddenly got to his feet. "I, uh, I haven't said hi to Tim yet." And with that he was gone.

Ollie chuckled under his breath. "Don't worry Roy, you're off the hook. Just giving my boy a little hell. If I don't light a fire under his keister he'll never work up the courage to ask out his girl. Damn kid's too shy."

"Connor has a girl?" Roy asked, startled. He was starting to think his sort-of-brother was asexual.

"He's got one in mind, anyway," Ollie said. "Pretty little thing. She works at the organic grocery store in town and teaches drop-in meditation classes at the community center once a week. Connor's been running down to the store for me every time I hint at needing something, and pretending to be a novice meditator. It's sad, really…but who am I to judge? I'd just talk to the girl for him, but Hal said that would be…what word did he use? Ah, mortifying. That was the one."

"Hal's right Ollie. Besides, you make a terrible wingman."

"Uh huh. You know Roy, you're not exactly getting any younger yourself. You sure you don't want to trick some nice girl into becoming Lian's new stepmom before it's too late?"

Roy scowled. He turned away from Ollie, and his gaze happened to fall on where Lian was stationed at the buffet table, animatedly chatting with Dick. "I don't think it's a stepmother she's after."

Ollie followed Roy's gaze. "There are states that accommodate that now. Not saying I'd be thrilled to be in-laws with the Bat-family, but if Bruce paid for the wedding…"

"Oh what do you care? You're rich again. Besides, I can't see Bruce being willing to celebrate if Dick and I got hitched."

Ollie shrugged. "Maybe he would have minded a few years ago, but at this point the guy just wants to see his kids happy. That's all any of us wants." When Roy continued to look skeptical, Ollie motioned to where Superman and Lois were standing, talking with Ms. Sandsmark and Mrs. Kent, all of whom looked euphoric. "Take a look over at Clark. Guy's got a perfect marriage, and now his cloned kid is settling down with his own dream girl. That's what we all really want for you guys."

"Yeah, well you can fix your own shattered romantic life before you butt into mine," Roy grumbled.

Ollie rubbed his ring finger absently, a look of loss on his face that made Roy instantly regret his cheap shot.

"Believe me kid, I'd like to. Just don't make my mistake, okay? I heard about your fight with Nightwing-"

"Yeah, you and everyone else who wears a cape. I don't wanna talk about it."

"Fine, I'll shut up."

Roy somehow doubted that, but he wasn't going to leave his ex-guardian alone when the guy was feeling lonely at a wedding with an open bar. It wouldn't be fair to the other guests, for starters. He hung around for an hour or so, feeling awkward and out of place, but knowing that his daughter, at least, was having a good time.

Lian danced with both of the West twins, someone from the Marvel family, that Tamaranian kid Bruce had just adopted, Connor, Jaime, and that second Aqualad that Roy had never gotten to know, but irrationally disliked for not being Garth (he still missed Gillhead). It was nice seeing Lian look so happy.

"Least the princess is having fun," Ollie mumbled, picking up on Roy's thoughts. "She's really something, huh? Smiling like that with everything you two've gone through. Makes you think."

"Mm," Roy mumbled, thoughts distant. "She's brave as hell. Nothing seems to get under her skin. Wish I had some of that."

"You do," Ollie said with a smile. "You're made of the exact same stuff Roy. The difference is just good parenting."

He'd never seen this side of Ollie before. "Are you being a sentimental drunk? What are you drinking?"

"Just beer. And I'm not drunk." Well that was a lie. "It's just the truth. You're a good dad Harper, and Lian's the proof. Wish I coulda done the same for you."

"Don't worry about it. I forgave you for all that a long time ago. Besides, I was a pain in the ass."

"You were a kid," Ollie said, waving a hand dismissively. "A pain in the ass maybe, but a kid all the same. You needed a parent, and I wanted to be your buddy instead."

Roy winced, and tried like hell to think of a way to diffuse the situation. "You're a good grandpa though."

Ollie grinned at that. "I do like being a grandpa. You gotta make me some more grandbabies Roy. You or Connor. Where is he anyway?"

"It's totally Connor's turn." In more ways than one. Roy found his "little brother", steered him towards the inebriated emerald archer, and then asked Lian if she was ready to go yet.

Lian looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, and he knew he was in trouble. "But Daddy, you've just been sitting at a table with Grandpa Ollie all party while he's getting more and more obnoxious. You should try to have some fun too before we go."

"I'm fine."

"But you haven't even danced with anyone yet. I'm sure Uncle Dick, or Auntie Donna-"

"You know what, dancing with a stump isn't as much fun as you'd think," Roy snapped, and regretted it even more than the barb he'd thrown at Ollie when he saw the hurt look in his daughter's eyes. "I'm sorry Li. I'm not having a good time, and I really need to leave. If you wanna stay, that's fine. I'll see if Wally minds if you head back with his family instead, but I gotta get out of here before I turn into more of an asshole."

"It's okay Daddy. I shouldn't be bugging you anyway. Let me go get my purse and say goodbye to Grandpa. I'll meet you at the teleporters."

"Lian, if you wanna-"

"Nope. I think we should go home and marathon DVDs until you feel better." It was a favored bonding activity for the father and daughter, dating back to Lian's toddler days. Every now and then Roy would leave his comms and signal devices in a drawer in the kitchen, unplug the phone, and they'd make a fort in his bedroom and watch Disney and Don Bluth movies until Lian fell asleep.

Roy smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

He went over to stand in line at the teleporters (quite a few of the other guests had also had enough, it seemed, but they all stepped aside and let Batman cut to the front of the line when he stalked over). Lian joined him shortly thereafter, wincing as she walked up in her ridiculous golden heels.

"Hey Daddy, look." She elbowed Roy in the ribs, and he turned to look where she was motioning. They watched the end of the hall, where Ollie and Dinah were chatting. Lian reached over and squeezed Roy's hand, and he looked on in some excitement.

They visibly deflated when Dinah threw her drink in Ollie's face and stalked off.

"Oh well," Roy said with a sigh.

"She's probably happier with Oracle anyway," Lian said thoughtfully. "And that makes less competition over Uncle Dick for you."

"Dinah's not really dating Barbara Gordon Li, that's just a rumor."

"That's certainly what Oracle wants everyone to think," Lian returned, and Roy frowned at the valid point.

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The Harpers decided to forgo the use of a bed-fort this time, but they did end up watching quite a lot of animated movies all in a row, splitting a sizable pizza between them. Lian went to bed sometime around midnight, happy and content, and Roy was feeling pretty decent by that point too.

Despite some dark patches, he really was lucky to have the life he did. When Ollie wasn't being an asshole, he was an amazing friend, Connor was practically a saint, Dinah too, and he had a fresh start with a beautiful, smart, funny little daughter that he'd never deserved. Really, in the face of all that, who cared if he'd never managed to make a romantic relationship work? He'd been blessed with a family instead, and he was going to enjoy them.

He went to bed in a state of gratitude and contentment, and that's possibly why the dream he had hit him so hard. It was a vivid one. One minute he was walking home from the grocery store (still with two arms), planning out a meal for him and Lian in his head and hoping he'd have time to help her with her homework before going on a patrol with Ollie (just for old time's sake), then suddenly everything got blurry.

Prometheus stood in his path, appearing without warning and making Roy feel uttery helpless as his arm withered into the familiar, disgusting little stump. Their neighborhood disappeared, and he was in the morgue again. Lian's cold, lifeless body was spread out on the table, exactly as he remembered seeing it.

"No. No, she's back and she's-she's going to be a teenager. She's going to grow up this time." His voice echoed in the cavernous room, weak and easily lost.

"What, you thought that was real?" Dick whispered in his ear. He stepped out from behind Roy, out of nowhere. There was a wedding band on his finger, but not on Roy's. Dick held up his hand and the little band of gold sparkled in the light. He shrugged. "I got tired of waiting for you to man up and get over all this." He waved to indicate the morgue. "Like you ever did anything to deserve a miracle. If you were any kind of hero you would have saved her, and I wouldn't have had to watch you fall apart."

"Shut up. This isn't real. She's back, I know she's back."

Lian sat up on the table, six years old and half-rotted. "I wouldn't have had to come back if you'd saved me Daddy. I cried for you you know. My eyes were open when they found me. It's because I was looking for you."

"Shut up! Shut up!"

Roy woke up in an absolute panic. He tangled the bedding around himself and half-fell out of bed, such was his haste to get up and get down the hall to his daughter's room.

Seeing her again, lifeless and limp on that unyielding metal table with the damn toe tag wasn't exactly a new experience. He'd had those dreams a lot in the last seven years (he knew it was a dream, but it was too real; it was real, as he'd been there before). It didn't make them any easier when they came, and he couldn't shake the images from his mind.

Sometimes when the dreams came they were so perfectly lifelike that for panicked moments after waking he convinced himself that the past few months with Lian were the real dream, and that he'd awake to find that she'd really remained dead the whole time.

Roy poked his head into her room, afraid to look inside, almost sure he was going to find storage, or the princess canopy bed she'd had when she was six, smashed in from when their old house had been destroyed. When he saw Lian safely tucked into the twin bed Ollie had bought her after her resurrection he closed the door and forced himself to walk back to his room, but the painful knot in his stomach wouldn't leave, and his breathing was still shallow.

He paced around his room for a few minutes, and when he noticed that his face was wet with tears and not just sweat, Roy realized he needed to talk to someone. His first instinct was to call Donna, but he couldn't bring himself to show that much vulnerability to that particular ex.

He intended to call Dinah, but somehow he found himself on the phone with Dick instead.

It was almost five in the morning, but Dick didn't even sound groggy when he answered. There was a chance that as a Bat Dick was just getting in, but five was pushing it even for them. "Roy? Is everything alright?"

Roy tried to speak, but when he got something out it was just incomprehensible sobbing.

"What's wrong? Roy, calm down." It took Dick's damn leader voice (something Roy hadn't heard since the freaking Outsiders) for him to get control of himself.

"S-sorry…this is gonna sound pathetic, but I had a…I had a really bad dream."

"I kinda got that. Some of what you just said was almost words. Lian?" Dick asked, voice gentle for the last bit.

"Yeah," Roy whispered. He could feel his hand shaking around the phone.

"I'm on my way. And don't you dare apologize when I get there."

"O-okay."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick still had a key for Roy's new place even though they hadn't really spoken since their fight. He let himself in and navigated the unfamiliar house with relative ease. Roy tended to set things up almost exactly the same everyplace he lived, so the task wasn't as difficult as it might have been.

First he went to the kitchen, put some water on the stove, and set a couple of mugs on the table. Then he went upstairs and walked down the hall to Lian's bedroom door. Roy was sitting in front of it clutching his metal arm to his chest, his bow sitting next to him and his JL comm on his lap. He was trembling with suppressed sobs and still crying.

It must have been one hell of a night terror. Though Dick had seen the man distressed many times over the years, he'd rarely seen him break down to this level.

Dick coaxed the weapons away from Roy, slipped an arm around his back, and gently steered him towards the kitchen. It took some effort, but he got him there without waking Lian. He got Roy to sit down by his mug and then poured them both some tea. Dick sat down next to Roy at the table and squeezed his knee while Roy took a sip from his mug with a shaky hand.

"Are you going to be okay?" Dick asked.

Roy set the mug on the table and hid his face in his hand, shoulders shaking. Dick rubbed his knee reassuringly and after a moment he straightened up. "S-she doesn't know…she doesn't know I freak out like this. Dick, I never stopped having dreams about her…and they're so real. All this, this doesn't feel real sometimes. Her being back…I won't survive if I lose her again."

"Hey, don't talk like that."

"It's true. And it could happen again any damn time. That's what makes the dreams so real."

"Roy, that is no way to go through life. I've been through grief before. It's possible to keep going, you just can't let it destroy you."

Roy turned to face Dick and there was something in his eyes that shut him right up. It wasn't anything angry, just a deep, deep sorrow that Dick realized he knew very little of. "I'm an orphan too Dick. And I know you thought you lost Bruce, but Ollie actually died and stayed that way for years. But I'm telling you right now, losing your only child is different. I've never been more terrified of anything in my entire life."

Dick had nothing to say to that. He sat with Roy, hoping his company was enough, and when they finished drinking the tea Dick cleaned up the cups and hovered by the sink uncertainly.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Do you want me to stay?" Dick asked gently.

Roy knew it was a bad idea. The last thing he wanted (well...he wanted it, but the last thing he needed) was to start a relationship with Dick again. It wasn't fair to lead him on, which was why he'd been avoiding the guy so much...at least until he'd needed someone in the middle of the night and he'd unthinkingly called the person he most wanted to see when his rational worries were overpowered by raw need.

He was upset and he wanted to cuddle with his ex. Roy reluctantly nodded, then dropped his gaze, wishing he weren't so weak, wishing that for just this once he could make a resolution and follow through with it.

Dick walked up to him and touched Roy's shoulder, gently massaging with his fingertips and sending a silent message: just shut up and take the judgment-free comfort. Well, it was what Roy had called him for.

They went upstairs together. Roy crawled back into bed facing the wall. He knew that there was nothing wrong with freaking out from such a vivid night terror, especially considering it was based on something that had happened, something that had all but destroyed his life. However, crying to Dick still felt like an affront to his masculinity and he was having a hard time dealing with it.

Dick kicked off his shoes and shrugged out of some of his clothes.

"If you need to borrow anything-"

"I'm good." Dick got into bed beside him and wrapped his arms around Roy. Roy finally took a steady breath, and closed his eyes without seeing his little girl dead. He could feel Dick's exhalations on the back of his neck; there was a soothing rhthym there. He fell into a restful sleep in almost no time.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Roy woke again it was gradually, with a hazy fog over his thoughts. His body was much more awake than his mind, and responding to the muscular form draped over his back. Dick was in a similar state, if the erection jabbing him was any indication, and it seemed like a good idea to grind back against him, slowly rubbing against Dick's cock.

"Tease," Dick whispered, breath warm against his ear.

"I never tease," Roy answered, voice hoarse from sleep.

One of Dick's arms had been trailing across his ribs, fingers dancing lower, but he stopped at Roy's abs. "Roy...I thought you didn't want this from me anymore."

That woke him up.

Right...this wasn't like any of the myriad other times he'd woken in bed with Dick, when messing around had just been messing around. Dick wanted a relationship this time, not a hook-up, and Roy wasn't on the same page with him. He was being a tease.

Roy turned himself around, finally willing to face Dick, and immediately regretted his decision. There were few things in the universe more enticing than a sleep tousled Dick Grayson (the other things all being variations on Dick looking particularly fuckable, such as Dick stepping out of the shower, Dick bent over a desk, or a personal favorite, seventeen year old rebellious Dick hot wiring a batmobile and inviting you on a joyride culminating in car sex). "Sorry...I wasn't thinking," Roy mumbled.

"If you want to, I mean, we know I can handle a friends with benefits arrangement. We've done it before." Dick trailed his bare foot up Roy's calf. Even his god damn toes were flexible and erotic, and Roy had never had a thing for feet.

"We don't actually handle the friends with benefits thing that well though."

"We don't handle not sleeping together that great either," Dick pointed out. "Remember the Outsiders? Even Donna told us to just fuck out our tension. Donna."

Roy smirked, recalling the look on Dick's face when she'd said that. "Grace rubbed off on everyone, huh? Yeah, you've got a point...I've missed the hell out of you."

"Same here," Dick said with a slow smile. He took the admission for permission to lean in closer, and in no time at all Roy was trapped in the embrace of a cuddle-slut acrobat (and to be fair, there are much worse things in life). "So...we've established that we care about each other, that we want each other, and that we've missed each other...what's holding you back?"

"Fear. What else?"

Dick's lips quirked upwards ever so slightly, almost like Damian's version of a smile, only on Dick it meant he was trying not to laugh. "I'm scary?"

"You're hot and nothing else," Roy said, then let out a shaky laugh. He buried his face against Dick's chest and took a steadying breath. "Last time we tried this...I shut down on you. First I was trying as hard as I could, and I...I wasn't there for Li, and then I lost her and I went nuts and by that point you were putting too much into it...we hurt the hell out of each other. It was miserable."

"I know I fucked up," Dick said simply. "It took me awhile to notice, but it was really unfair of me to let you do all the work. I won't do that again, I promise."

"I need to stay focused on her Dick. She's almost thirteen. I started drinking when I was thirteen. I was smoking at fourteen and shooting up by sixteen. I can't, I-she's not going through what I went through. I'm going to be there for her."

"I know," Dick whispered. "I would never want to take your attention away from Lian. But I swear Harper, your heart is big enough for two."

Roy slid up the bed until he was face to face with Dick, their noses almost touching. "This time I'm the one who's going to be a really shitty boyfriend."

"I've got a moody teen on my hands. We can bitch about parenting issues together. And I won't think you're just trying to blow me off when you need to spend time with your daughter." Dick had heard more than enough of Roy's rants over the years about what it was like to date while being a single dad. Some people got really paranoid and jealous about the small child, including one particularly memorable girl who'd thought Roy was making Lian up so he could sleep around on her, this being before they'd even started dating properly (something that had never happened thanks to that).

"I'm not going to be much fun," Roy tried again.

"I don't care. I just want to be with you. You know you feel the same way, so stop worrying so much. If it doesn't work out then we can just break up again. You're pretty good at dumping me at this point, and I always bounce back, don't I?"

And the thing was, he wasn't even bitter when he said it. Roy still felt a bit defensive though. "Wait, wait, wait...I am not always the one who-"

"Yes you are," Dick interrupted. "Every time. I'm not saying I haven't been the cause of the end of our relationship before, but you always verbalize it."

Roy thought back, trying to find just one example to prove him wrong. Of course he couldn't; he was fighting a Bat-recollection. "Damn. Really? Every time?"

"I should thank you for a couple of them," Dick murmured. "I never know when to quit." Dick looked at him with those gorgeous blue eyes of his, all wide and a little vulnerable, and Roy knew he'd lost the fight. Dick wasn't fighting fair, but that was beside the point. They both had hero-wiring, and Roy couldn't resist Dick when he looked the least bit unsure of himself. It always made him want to be there, protecting him, saving the day...

Roy kissed that haunted look right off of Dick's face, and his eyes drifted shut as he once again wound himself around Roy. They hadn't shared a bed since before Lian's resurrection, what with how hectic setting up a new life had been. Roy had missed this so much, and it was clear from the passion Dick exuded that he had too.

"I'm sorry," Roy gasped, arching upwards as Dick's hands worked under his pajama pants. Dick planted a few messy kisses on his throat and collar bone before repurposing one of his hands for yanking off Roy's t-shirt so he could trail the kisses lower.

"Don't, don't do that," Dick said. "I don't care." Roy threaded his fingers through Dick's silky black hair and gasped as Dick kissed and licked a trail down his abs, then diverting to the side to suck on his hipbone. "Just stay with me. Here, now. Don't worry about everything else."

Here and now was a nice big bed, with the faintest rays of dawn creeping in through the window and throwing a warm pink tinged light on Dick's perfectly smooth skin as he moved down Roy's body, taking the bedding and Roy's pajama pants with him and wordlessly promising to do naughty things to him with a very talented mouth. Roy was perfectly content to take Dick's advice and leave the past in the past.

It was times like this though, when he desperately wished he still had two arms and two sets of hands to worship Dick's beautiful body with. Dick wasn't freaked out by the arm stub (a guy had once asked Roy to hold a pillow over it while they fucked, and Roy had gathered up his clothes and left), but it still bothered Roy. Most of the time it didn't get to him anymore, not after this many years, but when he was in bed with someone he cared about he really wished he was whole for them.

"Roy, I am not going to suck your cock unless you get out of your head and focus on me," Dick said, a warning look blazing in his eyes.

Roy propped himself up with his good arm so he could look down at the gorgeous face hovering over his crotch. "I'm here, I promise." He smirked. "I'll be a good boy."

"You'd better." And then Roy was lost in the warm bliss of Dick's mouth. Roy slipped off his good arm and fell flat against the mattress. He hiked up one knee and spread his legs further, giving Dick more room to comfortably work his magic. Dick groaned his appreciation around Roy's cock and obliged by taking it further, sucking it down his throat. Roy moaned loudly, involuntarily snapping his hips in time with Dick's ministrations.

Roy almost hit himself in the face, getting his good arm over his mouth as quickly as possible because he did not want Lian getting up to investigate these noises.

Dick gripped the base of Roy's cock, holding his pointer finger flat against it. The next time his mouth came down as he bobbed his head he coated it in saliva, and swiped his tongue around his finger along with Roy's shaft. His hand disappeared in the next swift movement of his head, and then Roy felt the hand creeping along his lower body.

He came hard when Dick simultaneously sucked him down to the root and penetrated him with the spit-slick finger.

"Fuck..." Roy gaped at the ceiling, gasping as his body came down from its favorite form of stress release. When he was able to look up, it was to see Dick wiping his mouth and licking cum off his fingers. He groaned and threw his arm over his eyes. "You're going to make me wake Lian up."

"Maybe I should gag you."

Roy laughed. "We've played that game before. You're the one who needs the damn gag."

"So you know, you're pretty much the only person who makes me scream." Dick curled up beside Roy and rested his head on his stomach.

"I know."

"How do you know?" Dick asked.

"People talk about us," Roy said with a smirk. "Kind of a lot actually. I think they're jealous."

"Oh yeah. Even the straight Justice Leaguers wish they were banging us."

"Or just watching."

Dick laughed at that, far more loudly than Roy would have liked. He stopped when they heard a creaking sound coming from the next room over. Roy held his breath as Dick watched him with a terrified 'oh fuck' face (Roy was lounging in bed naked and sticky, and Dick was tenting his pants) but there were no further sounds. "Sorry," Dick whispered.

"I probably should gag you," Roy hissed. Dick bit his side, and it was so unexpected that Roy jerked upwards. "Hey, that pinched!" Dick bit him again, harder that time, and then lapped at the stinging skin with his tongue. "You are in some mood. Is this because I haven't gotten you off yet?"

"That is a little rude," Dick answered, then nipped him again. "But nope. As soon as you're hard again I want you to fuck me."

Roy rolled onto his side facing Dick. "It's not going to take that long if you're going to be like that."

"Good."

And then quite suddenly he had an armful of Dick Grayson, grinding his lower body against Roy while he invaded his mouth with his oh-so-clever tongue (and he could taste himself in Dick's mouth), and they just swallowed the noises the other made, so Lian could have no idea what was happening...all she'd need to know was that her father was a very, very happy (and lucky) man.

And that Uncle Dick was going to be over a lot more in the very near future.

Again, Roy threaded his one hand through Dick's thick black hair, holding him as close as possible and completely giving up on the idea that he could live without this man. It was a good thing he was occupied in kissing Dick senseless, otherwise he'd be babbling a sickening amount of mush.

And the best part was, if he did it would be okay.

Dick stripped out of what little clothing he hadn't managed to cast off already, and coaxed Roy back to hardness almost as quickly as he'd done when they were hormonal, sex fiend teenagers (granted they were still sex fiends, but his recovery time wasn't always as good as it had been when he was sixteen). Dick pulled back from the kiss, lightly nibbling Roy's lower lip and driving him crazy with lust. He thrust his hips against Roy, one of his long fingered hands snaking between them and stroking as they thrust against each other. "You're ready...fuck me, nnnh, fuck me Roy," he panted next to Roy's ear, letting out that erotic little whine that always went straight to Roy's cock.

With much effort, Roy removed his arm from the sweaty back it was clamped around and groped (more like flailed) blindly in the direction of his nightstand. He couldn't move much with Dick pressed up against him like that. Dick looked at him in some confusion. "What are you...?"

"Lube. Now, need it now," Roy choked out.

"Skip it, I'm ready."

Roy shoved Dick off of him (difficult task, but Dick didn't see it coming and so was flopped unceremoniously onto the mattress). "You're an idiot," Roy informed him as he successfully located the lube and uncapped it. Dick watched in some fascination as Roy efficiently coated his fingers, almost as quickly as he'd done when he'd still had two hands.

"I never get tired of seeing that."

"And yet you told me to fuck you dry just now. As if that would feel good for either of us."

"Just hurry the fuck up. I, for one, haven't already had a mind blowing orgasm."

"Yeah, well hey. Least it doesn't take long to stretch you."

"You really want to call me a slut now?" Dick asked. He still pushed himself onto his back, raising his legs in the air with his hands grasping the backs of his knees.

"Baby, you're my slut," Roy purred as he crawled over to him. He smacked Dick's raised and presented ass with the flat of his hand, then immediately shoved in two slick fingers. Dick let out that whine again, and flexed around Roy's fingers as he slowly thrust them in and out.

"All yours now," Dick agreed in a tone of voice that achieved the same results as the whine. "I'm stretched, I swear, just fuck me...Roy, come on-"

"Say please."

"Fucking do it now!"

"Close enough." Roy removed his fingers and planted his hand firmly on the mattress next to Dick, angling himself so that he wouldn't lose balance (Dick's flexibility was really handy here). He nudged the tip of his penis up against Dick's ass, and then their eyes met.

Roy had probably had more partners than he would have liked over the years, but never any who looked at him like that when they were doing this. He was so trusting, open...intimate. Fucking Dick was really making love to him, and he couldn't pretend it was otherwise anymore.

Dick slid one of his hands over to Roy's and placed it over Roy's planted fingers. He had a sultry little smile on his face, but there was something sweet about it. Good. He must have felt it too. Either that or Roy really had just turned unforgivably sappy (but it was Dick's fault; he was the only one who brought this shit out of him).

Roy thrust into him with one long stroke, burying himself completely in Dick's deliciously yielding body. Dick's hand involuntarily clenched around his (not to mention the rest of him). Roy allowed himself a moment to bask in the sensation of their joined bodies; the sound of Dick's little pants, the smell of him, the sweat slick legs locking around his back, trying to pull him closer (as if that were possible), and the warm heat of his body around Roy's cock. "Fuck," Roy whispered.

"Yes..." Dick groaned. "Move. Fuck, now, move."

Roy complied, initially with some difficulty given how tightly locked Dick's legs were. "Babe, I need to be able to pull out if I'm going to go back in."

"S-sorry...feels so good-"

"Trust me, if you let me fuck you it will feel better."

"Jack ass."

"You love it."

"God help me, I really do."

And then Roy moved, setting a hard, fast rhythm that allowed no further conversation beyond grunted swears and nonesense endearments. Roy was so lost in the sensation, in the feel of that welcoming body around him, that he didn't notice his hand start to slide on the sheets. He slipped a little, and the change in angle had him hitting Dick's prostate dead on. Dick yanked his hand away from Roy's and bit down on his forearm hard enough to break skin, though he was still a bit louder than Roy would have liked (thank God Lian was a heavy sleeper).

Then Roy lost his balance and fell forward onto Dick, sliding out of him in the process. "Damn!" Roy yelled.

"Here, don't get upset, just move. Here." Dick slid up the bed until he was leaning back against the headboard. Roy followed him and grabbed onto it. Balance greatly improved, he wasted no time at all in resuming their activity. Based on the noises he managed to wrest from his lover he'd found Dick's prostate again.

It didn't take much longer to bring him over the edge, and with Dick clenching around him, babbling incoherently and looking thoroughly debauched Roy wasn't lasting any longer either.

He rested his forehead next to his hand where it was clutching the headboard in a white knuckled grip.

"Roy...can you brood while we cuddle? This isn't exactly the most comfortable position I've ever used."

Roy looked down, and belatedly realized that Dick was bent almost in half at the waist with his knees practically touching his ears. "Sorry." He pulled out and dropped onto the bed on his back. Dick uncurled himself, reached on the ground for an article of discarded clothing, and wiped them down with his underpants.

"You're going to regret that later," Roy said.

"I'll just use yours."

Roy grinned. "I like the idea of you wearing my clothes."

"I know you do. Roy...I don't care that you lost your balance, okay? That was still an amazing fuck."

Roy scowled. "We've talked over a lot of demons. Can we save the 'I feel inferior because I'm maimed and you're a sex god' one for another night?"

Dick sat up on his elbows, a stern look on his face. "We're both sex gods."

"Dick-"

"Shut up. I've been in lust with you since I met you. Love took a bit longer, since you acted like such a jack ass for so long, but I do. I love you. And you're beautiful. This..." Before Roy could flinch away, Dick placed his hand on the stump, feeling it over with his palm flat against it. "This is a sign of what you're willing to sacrifice, the type of danger you've put yourself in to help others. This is the reason I love you so damn much. This is a sign that you share the type of life I do, that you get me."

"I..."

Dick leaned forward and placed a kiss on Roy's stump. Roy chewed his lip, but an embarrassing sob still escaped him. "I love you too."

"I know. Now let's get some sleep, okay?"

"Yeah."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next room over, Lian was sitting up in bed with her laptop open. She yanked off the earbud headphones she'd put in after a rude wake up call from her father's room, and hesitantly listened. "They stopped. Oh thank you Jesus, they finally stopped."

She tossed her mp3 player aside, then turned back to her chat window.

XxartchikarcherxX: they finally stopped :(

oimpulsive1: really? but its been like 4ever

XxartchikarcherxX: I KNOW! i thought i wanted dad n uncle dick to hook up but i think i regret it already. they're LOUD

oimpulsive1: youre not gunna tell them you heard, right?

XxartchikarcherxX: i see no reason to traumatize them in addition to me

oimpulsive1: yeh i guess thats for the best. well if you need to talk again nexttime let me know, kk?

XxartchikarcherxX: sure thing. thanks again irey


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick spends a morning with the Harpers; Damian prepares for his date with Jai.

Chapter Fourteen

Roy woke up with a huge smile on his face. He hadn't felt this good or this relaxed upon waking up in years.

He was also naked, rolled into a blanket cocoon, and inhabiting the center of the bed. The only warm spot was from him, meaning it had been some time since Dick had been in bed with him. Still feeling a bit dazed, Roy sat up and noticed that it was almost noon. That was about the hour he normally woke up, but unless Dick had been knocked unconscious during a fight he was up and about well before that. Watching Roy sleep could only hold his attention for so long…

Unless he'd already left.

'No, he would have woken me up to say goodbye first.' At least, Roy hoped that was the case. He felt a pang of uncertainty and tried to squash it down as best he could. Though the previous night's discussion and…assorted other activities…had been much needed and wonderful, he and Dick hadn't exactly discussed their relationship in any amount of depth. Now that Roy was committed again he was fully committed, and it was going to sting like hell if Dick had run out while he was still asleep.

He got out of bed, pulled some clothes on, then ventured downstairs. Wonderful smells were wafting from the kitchen, which made him hopeful. So far Lian had shown no culinary ability beyond the microwave. Not that Dick was much better (living with Alfred was a strong deterrent against cooking for yourself), but he was known to occasionally turn on a stove.

Dick was sitting at the table with Lian when Roy walked in. They were both laughing about something, and Roy couldn't suppress a smile himself at the sight of the people he cared most about in such obvious high spirits. Lian was still in her pajamas and had her hair up in messy pigtail braids, and Dick was wearing the sweatpants and t-shirt he'd worn over the previous night. There were empty plates in front of them, but a full one was waiting for Roy at the head of the table, along with his favorite bowl-sized coffee mug.

"Hi Daddy! I was starting to wonder if you were ever gonna get out of bed."

"It's Sunday. You're supposed to sleep late," Roy said defensively.

Lian jumped up to get the coffee pot. She kissed his cheek as she passed, then returned and filled his cup. He eyed her warily.

"Did you want something Peanut?"

"Hm?" She finished filling his mug and went back to the counter to return the pot to the coffee maker. "No. What makes you say that?" Furthering his suspicion, she gathered up her and Dick's plates and put them in the sink.

Roy bit into a piece of bacon, but continued watching her with some suspicion. "You're acting a little funny."

"What, she isn't always this well behaved?" Dick asked with a snort. Lian stuck her tongue out at him.

"Just so you guys know, when I want something, I suck up to Grandpa Ollie. He's the one who hands off his credit cards."

"True enough," Roy said with a laugh.

Lian poured a cup of coffee for herself then sat down at the table across from her father. She neatly folded her hands and regarded him with a somewhat eerie looking smile. "Though since you bring it up, there is something I wanted to talk to you about."

Roy traded a look with Dick, who looked a little uncomfortable, then quickly bit into his toast to delay answering.

"I didn't really talk to her about why I'm here," Dick said. "Figured I'd wait for you on that."

"Good call," Roy choked out.

Lian still had that eerie smile on her face. "So…how are you guys?"

"Fine…" Dick and Roy answered together, both in a strained tone of voice.

Roy was the one to address the awkwardness first. "You, uh, didn't hear anything last night, did you Peanut?"

"I have headphones," Lian said dismissively. Roy was pretty sure his face was at least as red as Dick's, if not more so thanks to his fair complexion. "I think I'm gonna need the ones that go over your whole ear though. But that's not important." She broke off into a giggle, and Roy scowled while Dick dropped his face into his hands. "You guys look really funny right now, sorry. Anyway, I just wanted to find out if…if this means you're admitting you're in love or if that was just sex."

Roy actually did choke on his breakfast a little, but he got it up and took a sip of coffee while Dick rubbed his back. "Lian! This is-that is-look, sex is never 'just' anything, okay? So don't talk about it that casually." He winced, realizing that he was behaving like an utter hypocrite, but that still wasn't something he wanted to hear from his little girl, and he was totally content to have a 'do what I say, not what I do' parent-child relationship when it came to certain things.

"Dad, I'm not a little kid anymore, and I've been thinking back on a lot of my childhood memories. I'd like to think you weren't in love with every single person we had breakfast with back in the day."

Dick regarded Roy with some confusion. "I thought you tried to keep your hookups away from Lian."

"I did," Roy groaned. She's barely met any of them but, well...Roy had had a lot of hookups when he was in his twenties.

Lian's eyes widened. "Kay, I remember you," she pointed at Dick, "Auntie Donna, Kendra, Grace, some lady with black hair who was kinda mean…" She was ticking them off on her fingers as she went and Roy dropped his head into his hand. He hadn't realized Lian had noticed that many of his partners, as he had put some effort into keeping his sex life away from his daughter. "And there was that guy that lived upstairs with the ugly ear gauges…wait. Daddy, did you sleep with my kindergarten teacher?"

Roy moved his plate forward, then banged his head against the table. "Please stop thinking back on your childhood! You were five; you weren't supposed to notice that."

Lian scowled. "I should have been getting A's!"

"How do you not get A's in kindergarten?" Dick mumbled.

Lian folded her arms across her chest. "I should have, but apparently Miss Lindsey was a woman scorned!"

"Li, I'm sorry! I promise to never sleep with one of your teachers again, okay?"

"Well I should hope so," Dick said. Roy cracked an eye open and glanced up at him as best he could from his vantage point with his head on the table.

Lian was smiling a genuine smile now. "So you guys are dating?"

"If he'll still have me," Roy said.

Dick laughed. "Like I didn't know about all that. In fact, I can probably fill in the partners Lian missed-"

"No need!" Lian chirped. "Alright, so you guys are in love, and dating. That's-that's great. And Dad's apparently a slut."

Roy frowned. "I'm responsible about it."

"And yet me…"

"Okay, Lian, that's not funny." Roy sat up straight and regarded her with a stern expression. She maintained eye contact with a steely focus.

"I wasn't joking."

"Right…" Roy turned to Dick. "Maybe you'd better get going. I have a feeling this is going to get-"

"Even more uncomfortable than it is now, yeah," Dick said with a nod. "It's probably a good idea anyway. Damian's been texting me all morning asking when I'm getting back in."

"Is he okay?" Lian asked, then winced when her father let out an exasperated noise as he rubbed his eyes. Dick only quirked an eyebrow.

"He's fine. I've got an idea of what he wants to talk to me about."

"Please tell me he's not going to harp about us getting back together too," Roy pleaded.

"Oh, I imagine he'll have a lot to say about it when he finds out," Dick said with a sigh. "Anyway…" He stood up, and Roy reluctantly got out of his chair and walked with him to the front hall.

He poked his head back into the kitchen and gave Lian a stern look. "You stay right there. We are having a talk."

Lian stuck her tongue out at him. "Goodbye Uncle Dick!" she called sweetly.

"Bye Lian!" he answered from the hall.

Roy walked up to him while he was pulling on his shoes and squeezed his ass. "Hey!" Dick jumped, startled.

"Just checking if you were really wearing my underpants," Roy said. Dick flicked the band of his sweatpants, and Roy caught a brief flash of a pair of his own boxers. He briefly smiled at the sight before his thoughts returned to the uncomfortable table talk. "So…sorry about that."

"It's okay, don't worry about it. She's too smart for her own good."

"I know. More like she's too smart for my own good though. She certainly doesn't get it from me."

Dick shook his head. "I don't know about that. Anyway…" He leaned towards Roy, who rested his hand on Dick's hip. "When can I drop by again?"

"Whenever you want dude." He fanned out his fingers and circled his thumb over Dick's hip bone.

Dick leaned even closer, so that their lips were almost touching. "We're dating again. You have to stop calling me dude now."

"That has never been a condition of our relationship."

"It is now. I'm creating a no dude clause, an extension of me not making speedy jokes when we're in bed. Now, you didn't answer my question. Would tomorrow be too soon? Too clingy of me?"

"You can be clingy this time. I was kinda thinking tonight would be nice if you can manage it."

Dick laughed. "I'll bring Lian a pair of headphones." He closed the distance for a wonderful goodbye kiss, and then he was gone.

Roy walked back towards the kitchen, simultaneously wanting to do a happy dance over how good things felt with him and Dick, and dreading the conversation with his daughter.

Lian was obediently still sitting at the table, though she looked less than pleased to be there. Well, at least she'd stayed. In a few years he might not even be able to get that much respect out of her.

Roy resumed his seat and fidgeted with a piece of bacon. "You understand why I'm upset, right?"

"Yeah, I get it. Can I go now?"

"No sweetie, we need to talk about this. I don't want to hear you calling me a slut ever again. I'm your father. I know I'm not perfect, but I think I deserve more respect than that."

"I know. I just…didn't realize how much you got around." Lian's eyes were downcast, and Roy felt his stomach knot at the disappointment on her face. He set the bacon down, wiped his hand off and again rubbed at his eyes.

"It's not like that!" Well, it kind of was, but he wanted to set a better example for her than that.

She seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Dad, wouldn't you be upset if you found out that I had like a million sex partners? I mean God, it's supposed to mean something, isn't it? That's what people say."

"It does. Sharing a bed with someone is an incredibly intimate experience. You're right, I'd be upset if you treated this lightly, but I'd be upset if I found out about you doing a lot of the things I've done. I've made a lot of mistakes, but I didn't have much guidance. I'm trying to do better for you, okay? And just because sex is special and intimate, it doesn't mean you have to be prudish. When I'm not in a relationship, I sleep with my friends. I don't think that makes me a slut, and I damn well won't have you judging me for it. I'm an adult. I get to make those kinds of decisions, you got that?"

Lian nodded. "I guess it doesn't really matter anyway, since you're going to be with Uncle Dick now. By the way, good job finally getting your head out of your ass on that one."

"Lian, honey, I really don't want you to talk to me the way I talked to Grandpa Ollie," Roy said with mock exasperation. "God knows I deserve it, but…"

Lian stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed.

"One other thing kiddo…"

Lian looked away, chewing on her lip. "We don't have to talk about that yet if you don't want to."

"I don't want to, but I think we need to. Li…just because you weren't, you know, planned and…part of a normal relationship…you're still…" Roy gave up on any kind of eloquent speech at that point, because he was flustered and he didn't really know what to say. This was a horrible conversation to stumble into first thing in the morning. "Lian, I love you. I wouldn't have any of it back, I swear."

"I know Daddy. I'm sorry I snapped at you." She got up and ran around the table to hug him. "We're good, right?"

"Of course." He squeezed her with the good arm and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "You don't…you don't regret not being part of the typical two parent household, right?"

Lian snorted. "You think I want you married to my mother?"

Roy forced out a laugh, but his stomach sank at the throwaway comment. "I guess not, huh?"

"Yeah, bad plan. I don't mind the idea of a two parent household or anything, if you wanted to marry Uncle Dick, but I am happy Daddy. You're a pretty kick ass father."

He didn't always feel that way, but it was nice to hear.

"Can I go upstairs yet or are you going to talk about something else weird and uncomfortable?"

"No, I'm all set. You go ahead Peanut."

"Yes!" Lian all but fled the room, leaving Roy with his cold coffee and half eaten breakfast.

"Yeah, the teen years are going to be a fucking hoot."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick got to Gotham around lunchtime. He checked the Cave first this time, and was surprised at the lack of Damian. So the kid was voluntarily exposing himself to daylight, how interesting...

A search of the manor revealed no Damian, so he kept Alfred company for a little while and then watched a few episodes of the Simpsons with X'hawn before Damian finally got back.

He had shopping bags with him, which was highly uncharacteristic. Damian took one look at Dick and X'hawn sitting together on the couch, scowled, and then stormed upstairs to his room.

X'hawn stared at the doorway for a moment, lovely orange eyes wide with innocent confusion. "Dick, am I right in assuming that Damian and his father behave somewhat...atypically for humans?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay. Because there's a television character that seems to have some of the same social impairments, so I was wondering if it was common."

Dick quirked an eyebrow. "What TV character reminds you of Bruce and Damian?"

"Dr. Cooper from the Big Bang Theory," X'hawn explained.

Dick thought about that for a second. "Huh. Now that you mention it, I kinda see it. Well anyway, I'd better go see what he's huffy about. I'll see you later X'hawn."

"Goodbye Dick."

Dick jogged upstairs and checked the door, but of course it was locked. Which didn't mean Damian didn't want to see him. Damian fully expected Dick to come in and talk with him, but since he was upset he was going to make Dick work for it. Dick went into the room next to Damian's, a seldom-used guest bedroom, flung open the window, and swung himself onto Damian's window ledge. He got the window open from the outside and swung himself inside.

Damian was standing in front of his bed, which was covered with clothing. He was looking at the potential outfits pensively, occasionally picking up an article of clothing, inspecting it, and then returning it to the bed.

"Date tonight?" Dick guessed.

"Yes...I want to make a strong physical impression since I'm sure I'll fail abysmally at the small talk. What do you suggest I wear?"

Anything on that bed would probably work. Damian was an exceptionally attractive kid. He had Bruce's solid build and height, with some of Talia's sinuous grace and sensuality. Plus his caramel skin and black hair were easy to color match. Add a billionaire's funds to procure the best fitting clothes out there, and Damian was pretty much set in regards to clothing himself.

Still, it'd probably be easier just to give him some advice. Dick pointed out a pair of slacks and a sweater he thought looked nice, and Damian instantly discarded them. Sighing, Dick tried again. The more outfits he suggested, the more outfits were tossed into a reject pile until Damian was left with a collared shirt and a pair of dress pants.

"So, you nervous?" Dick asked.

Damian snorted derisively. "It's just a simple date. If it goes poorly and Jai never wishes to see me again there are no real consequences. He doesn't have superpowers, after all, and hasn't chosen to engage in heroics as a non-powered hero. I won't ever need to team up with him, so there will be no opportunities for awkwardness."

"Damian...if you screw up one date, it doesn't mean you can't see him ever again."

Damian looked at him with some genuine fear showing in his amber eyes. "Oh no, I assure you, if I embarrass myself tonight, I will never seek Jai West out again."

"Right, because that's the rational thing to do. Look, you gotta calm down. You're not going to have any fun if you're all tense like this."

"Fun? I find nothing appealing about the prospect of sitting in a restaurant watching another person eat before enduring some inane romantic comedy and finally proceeding to the normative social ritual for judging the effectiveness of a courtship. The good night kiss," Damian supplied, since Dick was eyeing him in some confusion.

"Uh...if you don't want to see a romcom, you can see something else." Maybe Damian was a little similar to Sheldon Cooper.

"My research indicates that romantic comedies are the most common form of date movie, and besides that, there was one that Jai actually wanted to see." Damian frowned at the outfit laid out on his bed. "I don't want to do this anymore. I'm not used to the prospect of giving a subpar performance at an activity."

"Well first dates are usually a little awkward. But you can't move on to the more comfortable dates if you don't have that first one, you know?"

"As usual Grayson, you're a font of banality."

"I try my best. Look, I'm sure you and Jai will have a good time." In all honesty, Dick wasn't that sure at all, but he wasn't going to say that.

"Dick...when it's time to kiss him...what do I do?" Damian asked, turning away from Dick in an attempt to keep some of his discomfort from view.

Dick shrugged. "You just kiss him. Try not to overthink it. Kisses aren't that big a deal."

"From what I understand, the goodnight kiss is how the outing is judged. It can 'make or break' the evening."

"Just keep it simple for the first time. You can worry about tonguing him later, okay?" Dick teased. His words had the opposite effect from what he'd intended, since Damian looked more worried than ever.

"Just how soon am I expected to do that?"

Suddenly, Dick wished he'd stayed in Kansas with his boyfriend.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian and Jai's first date doesn't go as smoothly as either boy would like.

Chapter Fifteen

"Mom, Dad, I'm heading out!" Jai yelled as he ran down the stairs. He almost got to the front door, fingertips just brushing the doorknob, when Linda charged into the room and grabbed his shoulder.

"Excuse me, but you are very much not. I got a call from your English teacher today Jai. She said you called her a bitch!"

Jai calmly returned his mother's gaze and shrugged. "She was being a bitch. Yeah, I called her on it."

"You cannot talk to your teachers like that! Come on, you know better than this. You're grounded, and so help me, if I hear about you doing anything like this aga-"

"But Mom-"

"No buts! Now get up those stairs and change out of those clothes because you are not even allowed to think about having fun for at least a week! You got that? You're going to learn some respect before you're allowed out with your horrible little friends again!"

Jai didn't budge. "Did you talk this over with Dad?" It was his last hope. His parents never enforced discipline unless they acted in concert. If she hadn't spoken to his father yet, then by Linda and Wally's weird logic she didn't have the right to punish him.

Jai's hopes crashed and burned at Wally's shout from the living room. "Yep! You're busted Jai!"

"Why'd that stupid bitch call on a weekend anyway? You gotta see that she's got it out for me, right?" Jai tried, knowing it wouldn't fly.

"I guess she wanted to ruin your life. Now get upstairs and wash off that guy liner," Linda snapped.

Jai chewed on his lip. He could feel his breath speeding up as he started to panic. He went through dozens of unlikely plans in a matter of seconds: sneaking out the window and scaling down the solid wall of the house around all their superhero intruder alarm tech, calling Piper and begging him to hypnotize his family into temporary comas so he could sneak out…telling his parents he had a date didn't even cross his mind.

He settled for begging. "Mom, please…I need to go."

"And what is so important?" Linda asked, looking unimpressed.

Jai broke eye contact. "I…I can't tell you. But please, it is actually really super important. I promise I'll be good and I'll submit to the punishment after this. I'll behave at school and never remind Mrs. Nickerson of her bitchiness again, just please let me go out just this once."

For a minute he thought he might have gotten to her. After all, there was genuine desperation in his tone. But ultimately, she iced over again. "No. Now go to your room."

Eyes welled with tears, Jai stomped past her and banged his way up to his room. He slammed the door behind him, locked it, and then flopped face first onto his bed.

He was going to miss out on a date with Damian Wayne, which was such a fluke it never should have happened, because his English teacher was a cow and his parents sucked. What kind of miserable human being screwed up a kid's life on a weekend anyway?

After indulging in self-pity for a few minutes, Jai sat up, wiped his eyes, and took out his phone.

"Yes?"

He bit back a sigh of longing at the sound of Damian's voice. The world was so fucking unfair. "Hey Damian. I-it's Jai."

"I'm aware. What is it?"

Jai took a steadying breath. "I can't go out tonight. I'm grounded."

"Oh. Well that's less than ideal. I'm already in Kansas. I'll be in Keystone City in under fifteen minutes. Are you sure you can't convince them to delay your punishment for one day?"

"I tried. They're being bastards."

"Oh. I'll see what I can do."

"What does that mean? Damian?" But he'd already hung up. "Huh." Jai flopped backwards against the pillow and tried telling himself that blunt, arrogant Robin, who didn't understand social cues, wasn't about to out him to his family before he was ready for them to know. Jai didn't believe himself, and he immediately called Piper.

It took Hartley a couple rings to pick up, which was unusual for him. The guy didn't have much of a social life, what with being a reformed superhero with dead parents (the rest of his family avoided him out of safety concerns, and he'd alienated a goodly amount of Costumes with side-switching). Any time Jai needed him he was usually readily available, and he almost always answered the phone after the first ring.

When he answered he sounded a little impatient. "Hello?"

"Hey Piper. Do you think you could take Robin in a fight?"

There was a pause. "Wait, what? Jai, is everything alright?"

"Uh, so…so yeah, no. Nothing's alright. Kay, so I was gonna, um, um go and do something with Robin tonight, but I'm grounded, and now he's gonna come over and talk to my parents but um…I don't want him to do that. So do you think you could intercept him and like music him into driving back to Gotham?"

"Does that really sound like something I'm going to do?" Piper asked, clearly making an effort to keep his voice patient sounding.

"Um…no."

"Good. I'm glad you have at least that much respect for me. But if you need to talk to me about something you know I'm here for you. And if you do have a fight with your parents tonight, I'll gladly help you deal with it later, okay?"

"Okay Piper. S-sorry. I wasn't thinking about how crazy that sounded until it was out of my mouth."

"That's okay. I'm sorry you're having a rough night. When you're not grounded anymore, do you want to get lunch with me?"

Jai smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great. I haven't seen you much lately."

"Well you've been busy," Piper pointed out.

Jai laughed. "Yeah, because it's always my fault."

"Well it is. I've actually got someone over though, so since we've decided that I'm not picking a fight with Robin, I think I should let you go."

Jai heard a male voice laughing from Piper's end. Somehow that made him feel even worse. He liked the thought of Piper never being too busy to get on the phone with him.

He didn't like the idea of Hartley starting to have a social life.

"Whatever," Jai said. He ended the call and threw his phone on the bed. Then the doorbell rang. Feeling incredibly stressed out, Jai stalked back out of his room, leaving his ringing phone (flashing Piper's number) on the bed.

Jai stopped at the top of the stairwell and listened. He could hear Damian talking to someone (his father, based on the male pronouns), but he couldn't hear much of what they were saying. After a few suspenseful minutes Wally called him downstairs. He grabbed his phone first (no longer ringing) and his keys, which was probably wishful thinking.

"Geeze Jai, you coulda just told us that Robin needed your help on another case. We do get superhero stuff you know."

Jai tried to keep the surprise off his face. That was a really handy excuse. Maybe he'd look into becoming a non-powered hero just to get parental blessing to run around at night unchaperoned.

"He told me to keep it quiet," Jai said, careful to keep his tone defensive and bratty.

"I didn't mean for you to exclude your parents though," Damian said. Jai's mouth went dry at his first clear look at his favorite nocturnal fantasy that evening. He was wearing the Robin costume, which wasn't exactly the clingiest or hottest of superhero costumes, but he still looked really, really good. Oh but he looked good...

Again, with effort, Jai schooled his features from lust-blown into petulance, because for him that was acting naturally. "Well whatever. You didn't say it was okay to tell them so I didn't."

Linda walked in from the kitchen, carrying a couple cans of soda and a bag of chips. She handed a soda off to Damian, who thanked her politely, and gave the other to Wally. "I still don't entirely agree with this," she fumed, and Jai knew his parents would be fighting about this one later. "Jai, you are only allowed to go out because your actions are, in theory, helping others. All next week you are grounded, so you'd better make sure that you finish everything Damian needs you for tonight."

It was really hard to keep the grin off his face at the poor choice of words. "I'm sure I can help Damian finish loads…"

The double entendre flew right over Damian's pretty head. That was okay though. It wouldn't take many dates to fix that.

"I appreciate your leniency Mrs. West. I promise not to reinforce your son's bad behavior," Damian said, no doubt delighting both of Jai's parents with that one. He turned to Jai. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yep."

They departed the house, Linda yelling instructions about how frequently she was to be called and what time Jai needed to be home ("It's still a school night!"), but he barely heard her. He was too distracted by the fact that he was finally, really, truly going on a date with Damian fucking Wayne. Jai was the luckiest closeted gay kid in the history of ever. He wanted to do cartwheels down the street.

Damian was much more cool and collected as he unlocked a very expensive looking car. Jai got into the front passenger seat, but Damian climbed into the back. "I'm going to change into my civilian attire," he said, taking note of Jai's confusion. Jai supposed Damian's illegally tinted windows had something to do with costume changes then.

"Excuse me," Damian snapped. "Would you mind facing front?"

"Sorry." Jai only peeked in the rearview mirror twice while Damian changed.

God he was hot.

He climbed into the front seat a moment later, wearing slacks and a dress shirt. He still looked really nice, but in all honesty, Jai would have preferred it if he'd stayed in the tight little briefs he'd glimpsed in the rearview mirror. Or nothing. Nothing would have been good too.

"Are you ready?" Damian asked.

"H-huh?" Jai's very dirty mind was in very dirty places. "For what?"

"The date," Damian answered, looking a bit annoyed. "I'm not familiar with your city, Where should I be driving?"

"Oh, uh…well there's a gay neighborhood in Central with some, like, bars and restaurants and stuff. We should go there so we don't get hassled."

Damian smirked. "You'll be perfectly safe with me Jai. I can handle a few rowdy bigots."

"I know. But um…if someone from my school sees me out with a guy, well…you don't go to Keystone High and I suck at fighting."

Damian didn't immediately answer, but he removed a GPS from his glove compartment. "Alright. Where is this gay neighborhood?"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Talking to Damian was like nothing Jai had ever attempted in his life. He was inarguably one of the most intelligent people Jai had ever met (which was saying something, because he'd been in the company of superheroes, including a lot of self-mades with no powers, for his entire life). That was pretty cool, since Jai was smart too, and he rarely got the chance to discuss things that interested him in that way. As long as they were chatting about linguistics, sciences, or something related to cultural exchange, Damian was an amazing conversationalist (if not a bit insulting).

It was when Jai tried to flirt with him that he iced over and pulled away. Jai tried to touch his hand during dinner, and Damian flexed his arm as though he were going to hit him before quickly getting control of himself. After that almost-slip, he was so obviously upset with himself that Jai couldn't coax him out of his shell no matter how hard he tried. The rest of dinner contained only monosyllabic responses from the brooding teenager.

Then they got to the movie theater. The prospect of sitting still for two hours with a guy who would instinctually try to break your arm if you went to hold his hand wasn't nearly as exciting as it had seemed when Damian had first asked him out. Jai excused himself for the bathroom while Damian was in line getting snacks, locked himself into a stall, and took out his phone.

And then Jai remembered that he didn't have anyone he could call for advice, because he still wasn't out to even his closest friends. "Fuck," he muttered. Having a little fun with his buddies was one thing, but now that he was on a real date, he realized how much he wanted to be able to go to someone and have them soothe his insecurities.

But he was pretty sure Irey and Piper would tell his parents, and he wasn't ready for them to know.

After a moment of further hesitation, he finally called Piper. This time Hartley didn't pick up at all. Jai stared at his phone in disbelief. For almost as long as he could remember, Piper had been there for him. He'd never ignored a call before.

Jai felt his eyes welling with tears. The date would only get worse if he emerged from the bathroom with smudged eyeliner, because even in a darkened theater he was sure freaking Robin would notice that, and notice he'd been crying, and figure out Jai was a waste of time and that Robin could date other super cool and suave sexy superheroes and-Jai forced himself to take another deep breath, then calmly walked over to the sinks and started dabbing at his eyes with damp paper towels until they looked less puffy. He'd just finished fixing the eyeliner when his phone chimed, indicating a text.

"You do realize I'm on a date right now," Jai read. Scowling, he texted back 'Me too. Need help.' Then his phone rang. "Hey Hartley."

"Hey…it sounds like you're having an interesting night."

Jai remembered what he'd asked Piper to do earlier in the evening and choked on a laugh. "Yeah, I uh, I managed to get around my parents and now I'm, I'm out with someone and they're, uh, really intense and…I'm not sure what to do. The date's kinda sucking, but I really like this person and I want to fix it. But they're, like, really reserved. And awkward. I'm kinda failing."

"They...?"

Jai silently begged that his friend wouldn't demand an explanation for the gender neutral pronouns. Thankfully, Piper had some sense of tact, because he didn't.

"Alright Jai, when you say first date…does that mean just that it's your first date together, or your first dates period?"

Jai thought about it. "Well I had that date for the eighth grade graduation dance a few years ago. And, um, I've gone out with gu-people before. But I guess this is my first real date. And I think it's theirs too." Smooth. An openly gay man from the generation where coming out was potentially life threatening (well, more so than it was for Jai) would never guess what he really meant.

Again, Piper stuck to what Jai was asking for help with instead of the more tempting conversation topic. "Then it's probably just nerves. If they've never done this before, and they're naturally shy and reserved, they're probably more worried about it than you are. Just be patient and try not to panic. I don't think it's anything to worry about unless the discomfort's still there a few dates down the line."

"That makes sense. You're really good at this Piper."

"Experience. I coached your dad through a lot of dating issues back in the day. Your mother has no idea how much she owes me for how he's turned out."

Jai thought about the toaster oven his dad had gotten his mom for their anniversary present and wondered how bad the man had been at dating before Piper's help.

"I'd better get back out there. Thanks Piper."

"Not a problem. Call me later and let me know how it goes, alright?"

"Sure." Jai hung up with Piper, took one more look at his reflection, and then strolled out to meet Damian, reminding himself to be patient and calm.

And meanwhile, back in Keystone, Piper tried not to ruin his own date wondering why his honorary nephew was out on a date when his parents thought he was on a team up with Robin. Between that and the pronouns...it was difficult not to read too much into it.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian sat perfectly still for the duration of the movie. His posture was rigid and completely uninviting. Jai kept reminding himself of what Piper had said. Damian's obvious discomfort wasn't necessarily a reflection of his feelings towards Jai. He was probably just uncomfortable in general. Panicking wouldn't help. Patience and understanding.

The movie was pretty terrible though, and that couldn't be helping.

Jai kept sneaking glances at his date, and once or twice he caught Damian doing the same thing with him. He almost died when Damian smiled at him; it was small, and weak, and terribly self-conscious looking, but a smile nonetheless. Jai smiled back, hoping he wasn't overdoing it, and wondered if he might be able to touch the walking wetdream before their first date was over.

Well...the smile was an encouraging sign. He hesitantly, in full view of his companion, brought his hand up to the armrest and laid it over Damian's. Damian repositioned his hand so that they could twine their fingers.

Suddenly, Jai's opinion of the movie improved dramatically.

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Lian was pacing back and forth in front of her bedroom window with her cellphone in one hand and a smooth river stone her uncle Connor had given her as a present in the other. She stopped pacing, took a few deep breaths, then dialed the number she'd scribbled onto her hand.

It rang for quite awhile before Damian answered. Lian was surprised it didn't go to voicemail. "Yes?"

"Hi, uh, Damian? It's Lian Harper."

"Oh, hello. Yes, that would be why I didn't recognize your number. Excuse me a moment." She could hear the barest bit of a conversation taking place, but Damian probably had his hand muffling the phone because she couldn't make much out, or even tell who he was talking to. After a moment he spoke again. "Hello Miss Harper. What can I help you with?"

"D-Daddy and I are going to, um, so yeah. Hoo, sorry, I don't know why I suddenly got all spazzy." She stopped for a few shaky breaths. This was just Damian, the little boy who'd looked at her in confusion when she handed him a silly band. Granted that little boy was now a six one dark and handsome dream, but she'd never be able to talk to him without sounding like an idiot if she thought of him that way. Better keep the mental image of the lost looking little boy.

"Anyway, I'm going to be in your neck of the woods tomorrow and I was hoping that if Daddy and I hit up the manor, I might be able to talk to you for a little bit. Are you going to be home?"

"I'll make every effort, but unfortunately the, er, lifestyle does have a tendency to make prearranged plans difficult."

"Tell me about it," Lian said with a grin. "My Dad's only shown up for one school event of mine ever, but I can't get mad at him because he really does try. No, I completely get that."

"It could be worse. At least you have school events for your father to miss."

"You were homeschooled?" Lian asked. She'd been wondering about that.

"Yes. We felt any benefits I may have gained regarding socialization weren't equal to the risks."

"Oh. Well that's too bad." No wonder he hadn't gotten much better than when he'd been ten. "Guess me and the West twins will just have to fill in for the socialization of middle school and high school. From what I hear about high school, the three of us will be less dramatic at least."

"Mm. A vast improvement upon the traditional arrangements."

Lian felt herself in danger of ditzy verbal spewage again, and decided to end the conversation. "Right. Well anyway, Dad said he and Uncle Dick were going to do dinner in Gotham tomorrow, so I'm guessing we'll head up after I get out of school, and I can chill with you while they're out. I'll probably see you around six."

To her surprise Damian let out a hiss of displeasure. "Oh please tell me they haven't started that again."

"What do you mean?" Lian asked.

"Dick is trifling with Roy Harper again? He really hasn't learned anything, has he? I'd thought your father at least, oaf that he is, had reached an epiphany about this."

"Excuse you."

"I didn't ask for-"

"You just insulted my dad. Like, to me, you just insulted my dad. That's not cool kiddo." And now her hands were shaking for totally different reasons from when she'd first started this conversation. No one was allowed to talk about her father like that.

"…kiddo?" To the casual observer, Damian probably sounded angry. Lian thought she detected a hint of uncertainty in that rumble of a teenage voice though.

Good, because she was pissed at him. "And what the fucking fuck do you mean Uncle Dick is trifling with my dad?"

"I believe that the two of them pursuing a sexual relationship is a regrettable choice, or a trifle, because-"

"I know that the word trifling means!" Lian snapped. "I was giving you a chance to apologize you idiot!"

"…Did you just call me an idiot?"

"You're being an idiot you idiot!" Lian considered hanging up before she said anything worse, since Damian's last statement lacked the uncertainty she'd heard before. That had just been anger.

"You're being overly emotional. I'm only stating that your father is not a suitable partner for Dick. They've discovered this on their own the many times they've attempted a relationship. Base urges aside, they really aren't compatible."

"Well you're still being a fuckstick."

"A what?"

"A fuckstick! An asshole, you know? A jerk. People don't like it when you insult their dads dumbass!"

"…but your father is-"

"You sure you want to finish that sentence fuckstick?" Lian asked in a deadly voice.

Damian took a controlled breath, and when he spoke his voice was cool and even. "I'm sorry. I suppose I wouldn't enjoy it if someone insulted my father to my face. I'd just assumed that where you live with the man you would be privy to his many shortcomings-" He stopped at the sound of a warning growl from Lian. "Er, would it appease you if I complimented him?"

"I dunno, give it a try."

"Alright, let me think for a moment…" His lengthy pause only furthered her irritation with him. Lian could think of dozens of excellent qualities in her father off the top of her head. It was like Damian was trying to dislike Roy. "Well, he was able to spawn rather remarkable progeny."

"Oh holy hell, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Lian exploded.

"Did you not understand what I-"

"I'm not one of the dumb kids Dami, I know what you said! Not only do people not like it when you insult their dads, they really don't like it when you use the language of someone who breeds show dogs or horses or some shit like that to talk about them! That wasn't a compliment, that was demeaning! Do you know what that word means?" She ended the call and then threw the phone onto her bed. Her hands were shaking.

"Gaa-aa-AAHH!" She screeched.

Suddenly Lian understood and had a lot more empathy for her dad's frustration with the boy.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian hung up the phone, took a moment to compose himself, then rejoined Jai in the parking lot outside the movie theater.

The other teen eyed him expectantly, but Damian couldn't for the life of him figure out what Jai wanted. His mind was still with Lian, lamenting how poorly he'd handled the conversation.

"Well?" Jai finally asked, all insolence. "Who was that? And why the hell was it so important that you couldn't take the call after our date?"

"Oh, right. Sorry Jai. This is a new experience for me and I'm still learning the protocols."

"Whatever." Jai started walking towards Damian's car and, feeling stung, Damian fell into step behind him.

"It was Lian Harper. She wishes to speak with me about something tomorrow but…I'm no longer entirely certain that that's the case."

"Kay. Y'wanna not talk about your future girlfriend when you're out with me? Thanks."

Damian frowned. "Lian and I aren't necessarily-"

"Damian, please, just don't. You told me that you don't wanna do anything really serious with me because you're gonna marry a girl someday, and it doesn't take a super genius to figure out that Lian's that girl. You brought her back from the dead."

"…it's not determined that she'll have me."

Jai stopped, turned with his hands on his slim hips and snorted derisively. "Trust me, she'll have you. And I won't, and this is only our first date, so can we please stop talking about this?"

"I'm sorry. I…I had hoped being candid with you would help."

Jai tilted his head to the side, contemplating Damian, and then smirked bitterly. "I can't tell if you're too much of an asshole to be this nice or the other way around. Either way, it's a weird ass combination. It's okay Damian…I'll get over myself and have as much fun with you as I can while it lasts."

"If my terms are unsatisfactory, I will understand if you would rather not continue. I'm sure you can find someone better-"

"I don't see it getting any better than you."

They were standing in front of Damian's car. Jai walked to the door but made no move to get in, and a silence settled between them. Damian knew that a kiss customarily came at the end of a first date, but he wasn't sure if he should administer it now or when he dropped Jai off.

Jai looked like he'd prefer it sooner as opposed to later. Damian closed the space between them and silently prayed he wasn't misreading the situation. When Jai relaxed against his touch and wound his arms around Damian's waist, he resisted the urge to cheer. The kiss was more of an embrace with the slightest bit of pressure as their lips touched, which was where Damian would have preferred to keep it. However, he felt Jai's lips part against his and responded in like without thinking it over.

The only person Damian had ever kissed was his mother, on the cheek, and the last time he'd done it was almost ten years ago. Damian could think of dozens of ways to lay his hands on Jai's body that would cripple him or make his nerves sing with pain, but caresses, pleasurable sensations, that was alien territory. And Damian wasn't used to the thought of being bad at something.

Based on his actions, Jai didn't find the situation intimidating at all. When the kiss turned open mouthed Jai sucked on Damian's bottom lip. It sent a shiver up Damian's spine, but in a good way, and he drew the other teen closer to him without realizing it. One of Jai's hands was resting on Damian's lower back, and that felt good too, though he'd probably felt the shiver. Then Jai's tongue was in Damian's mouth, and that felt much better than he'd suspected upon learning about the custom. He found himself groaning into the kiss, very startled that he was the one making the noises, but Jai was really good at kissing.

Jai was also the one to break the kiss. He closed his mouth again, put one more touch of wonderfully warm pressure against Damian's lips, and then pulled back, alluring gold-green eyes half lidded and decadently full lips quirked in a confident smile. "Was that your first kiss?"

Frowning, Damian nodded. "I'm sure I'll pick up the technique at some p-"

"Damian, that was a really good kiss," Jai assured him. "But if you wanna practice…"

It was Damian's turn for a smirk. "I think I'd like that very much. Er…shall we depart the parking lot?"

"Oh yeah, that's probably a good idea."

They got into the car, but before Damian managed to start it Jai's hand was on his thigh. He turned to regard his companion. "I think the kiss was enough for tonight."

"You sure? It's still early. My parents can't be expecting me yet, and your guys keep late hours. If you wanna keep…alright, never mind." Jai removed the offending hand, admitting defeat against a withering glare. "You did say you wanted to practice though."

"Yes, well, I didn't say when." He had some study to do before they got much more adventurous.

Damian drove back to the West house and parked up the street. He made an effort to keep his expression impassive, then turned to face his date. "We already kissed. What happens now?"

Jai laughed. "I don't know...wait, so like for you the date ends whenever you kiss the guy?"

Damian let out an irritated breath. "As far as I've gathered, that is the cultural norm. And then chemistry and ultimately the success or failure of the date is judged by the kiss."

And then quite suddenly, Jai had moved across the seat and he was kissing Damian again. He'd moved so fast that Damian hadn't even seen him remove his seatbelt, but he had to have because he was in Damian's lap, and the warm weight of the slight teen felt remarkably good...and his wickedly talented tongue was in Damian's mouth again, but it was starting to feel familiar, and right, and this time Jai was moaning too.

Well of course he was. Damian did have a tendency to excel at things...

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jai started walking up the street towards his house, a huge smile plastered on his face. He waved as Damian drove past him, hoping his idiotic smile appeared more suave from a distance.

He stopped just before coming into view of the front room window, which was a good thing because his hair was sticking up in odd angles and his shirt was misbuttoned. Jai started fixing his appearance, when something else occured to him. It was still well before midnight, and since he was theoretically helping a crime fighter save lives, he had a parental blessing to be out as late as he wanted. This was a rare opportunity.

Clearly he didn't have to go home just because the date was over.

Jai turned on his heel and strode off. He took out his phone and was about to call Shane when something occurred to him. Whenever he hung out with most of his friends, they ended up getting drunk and making out, and he'd just made out with a sex god. There really wasn't much appeal to heading over to Shane's after that.

He probably was better off just turning in. Jai gave his appearance one more quick inspection to make sure his mom wouldn't be able to tell from looking at him that he'd just been groped in a car, then he went home.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lian wasn't sure what the expect when she showed up at Wayne manor with her father. Her best guess was that Damian would avoid her, and then she'd be stuck as an incredibly awkward third wheel until her dad left on his date.

Then she'd be stuck wandering around a creepy old house by herself, hopefully without bumping into Batman. She really should have done a better job controlling her temper when she'd talked to Damian. The kid hadn't meant to press her buttons, after all.

Given a little time for reflection, she sincerely regretted yelling at him. He was an emotionally stunted, socially disabled teenager, and that had to suck enough without having one of your only friends calling you a fuckstick. It really wasn't his fault he didn't get social norms. Lian didn't regret the content of what she'd said though, because someone needed to teach that boy how to behave. Otherwise he'd never learn. He was already too old not to know about insulting people's parents.

Roy pulled their car up in front of the ostentatiously big house, then cupped his hand to his mouth and smelled his breath.

"I'd worry more about that middle school boy body spray you're wearing Daddy," Lian said while fumbling through her purse for a pack of gum.

Roy frowned. "It's not middle school boy-"

"I'm a middle schooler. Trust me, you smell like a thirteen year old."

"Yeah, well Dick's never complained. So...how do I look?"

Lian swept her eyes over him, a critical look on her face. His hair was brushed, he was wearing a new shirt...overall he looked very clean and put together. "If it wasn't for the preteen boy smell you'd be very fetching."

"You're a brat."

"Yep. Your fault."

They got out of the car and walked up to the front door. "You know it's interesting," Roy commented. "Dick went through all this hassle to move away from Gotham, and yet he's still here all the frickin' time. I can't figure out which needy Bat he's hanging around for this time."

"Maybe he's the needy Bat," Lian suggested, because she could see that.

Roy made an iffy motion with his hand. "Maybe...oh hell, they're all just bizarrely codependent with each other. I'm guessing it's all of them."

"Sounds right. Though if I had to guess..."

"Damian," they both said with a nod. Then Alfred opened the door to let them in, so they stopped gossiping. They were shown to a parlor, and then the butler left to get their Bats.

Alfred didn't show up again, but the raised voices steadily approaching the parlor probably had something to do with that. If Lian had the option of running away from the sounds of that fight, she would too. Roy looked incredibly uncomfortable, and Lian figured she did too.

Dick and Damian were fighting about the date, and they were being loud.

"It's none of your business! Come on, we've already had this fight. Just let it go!"

"I still don't understand why you're-"

"You don't need to understand-"

"-debasing yourself with someone clearly beneath you! You know it's not going to work out! It never has!"

"Damian, I really couldn't give much less of a fuck what you think about this, okay, so leave me the hell alone!"

"You should care because you're making a mistake!"

Then they finally walked into the room. Dick had the decency to look embarassed, but Lian couldn't tell what the hell Damian was thinking. His face was impossible to read.

Roy was standing by the window clenching and unclenching his fist. Lian wanted to go give him a hug, but she was also afraid to move. Everyone looked tense, but Dick in particular looked like he wanted to hit someone.

Someone had to break the tension, and it might as well be her. She jumped forward, grabbed Damian's hand, and started dragging him from the room. "Hey! So let's go hang while Daddy and Uncle Dick are on their date! C'mon, let's give them some space and, um, you should give me a tour. Something. Come on, stop dragging your feet."

"I-I wasn't finished speaking with Dick," Damian said, flustered. She'd already gotten him into the hallway.

"Yeah, sweetie, you're totally finished speaking with Dick. Come on, move it!" She tugged harder, not quite sure where she was leading them, and to her surprise Damian obediently followed after her. Eventually he took the lead. Lian wasn't sure what to say to him, so she silently followed after, reminding herself that he was socially impaired and that he didn't mean to be an ass.

But if it had been anyone else to make her dad look that despondent, she would have punched them in the throat.

Damian took her to a stairwell and, despite the fact that it looked creepy as hell, she followed him down the poorly lit passageway. It wasn't until she thought about how very many stairs they were descending that Lian realized he was taking her to the Bat Cave.

Maybe he wasn't mad at her then...

Damian walked over to a chair in front of the largest-yet-high-tech computer console Lian had ever seen and plopped down. He swung around by his feet so that he was facing her, then leaned over and steepled his fingers. She pulled up another chair and sat down. His expression was carefully blank, guarded. It saddened her a bit; he'd never been guarded with her before.

She was going to have to be so careful with this boy.

"Did you still wish to speak with me, or are you also angry with me because of my concern for Dick's well being?"

Lian bristled. Okay, so she had to be careful, but that didn't mean she couldn't call him on his rudeness. As long as she didn't call him a fuckstick again, she'd probably be okay. "You know Damian, that's not exactly how it went. Concern for Dick is one thing, but you haven't just been exressing concern. You've been insulting my dad, and you're trying to take over Dick's life choices for him. That's pretty rude."

Damian was quiet for a moment, considering her words. When he spoke again, his voice was low and a bit melancholy. "I just wish he weren't setting himself up for more emotional hardship. You may not be aware of this, but Dick has a sordid history of complicated entanglements. He doesn't do well with your father."

"I think they make each other pretty happy."

He shrugged at that. "Time will tell. So Miss Harper, how may I be of service to you?"

Lian took a deep breath. 'This is it kid. You sure you still want to go through with it?' But she had to, feeling of dread or no. This was something she needed to do.

"Damian, I want you to teach me how to fight."

Damian's eyes widened slightly, but otherwise his face was as inscrutable as ever. After a moment, he nodded. "Alright. What are you looking to learn?"

"Everything," Lian said. "Anything you want to show me. I only know archery so far, and even then, I've only been shooting at really standard targets. My skills probably wouldn't transfer to a fight that well."

"Your father isn't teaching you what little he...er...that is to say...you haven't been learning from your family?"

Lian nodded approvingly at Damian's correction. "Not really. Dad doesn't want me to suit up until I'm older."

"Perfectly understandable, but that doesn't mean you can't learn now."

"I know," Lian said. "And...with what happened with my mom...and what happened when I was little...I need to learn. I still don't really know what my dad and my grandpa did after I died, but as far as I can tell...I can't leave them again. I need to learn how to defend myself."

Damian leaned forward and took her hand in his. "You're absolutely right. I promise to help you in any way I can."

Lian smiled brightly at him, and was rewarded with a small, weak little smile of her own. "Cool. In exchange, I'll teach you how not to stick your foot in your mouth so much."

Damian dropped her hand and pulled away. "That's an admirable goal, but not highly realistic. Dick's been coaching me on social interactions for years."

"Yeah...and he's a really nice guy," Lian pointed out.

Damian nodded. "Foolishly nice."

"And you're not. I mean, don't get me wrong, you're good, but you're not nice. They're two different things, and they usually overlap, but I don't think they do with you. And Dick being nice to you all the time hasn't really been working. I know how to be polite and all that, but I'm actually not very nice either. I'm kind of a brat. I think you need a brat to train you."

That shrewd look came back to Damian's eyes as he thought over her words. "That's an interesting idea..."

"I thought so."

"I see some merit in your argument. Fine, you can tutor me on social norms."

Lian grinned. "Cool. Okay, so I've already got an assignment for you."

Damian frowned at that. "I'd assumed we'd begin with your training."

"Yeah, yeah." Lian waved one of her hands. "We can start that today too. I brought my yoga pants with me. But for your first assignment, I want you to have a heart to heart with Uncle Dick when he gets back from dinner with my dad, and I want you to calmly explain how you feel to him without insulting my dad, and I think you should tell him that you respect his right to make his own choices for his own life."

"But he's wrong."

"That's how you feel. He still has the right to do whatever he wants. It's his life Dami."

Damian hissed out an irritated breath. "I don't like it when people call me Dami."

"I can respect that. You know, a choice you made for yourself about your life."

"A nickname is not the same level of importance as a romantic partner," Damian said flatly.

"No it's not. One's significantly more important...Dami."

"Alright, fine! I'll do your inane assignment."

Lian smiled at him. She knew he was trying to look broody and frightening, but, despite the fact that his size and build should have rendered him physically intimidating he looked far too much like a pouty little boy to be at all frightening. Lian jumped to her feet, picked up her bag, and skipped off towards a part of the cave that looked like a changing area. "I'm gonna go put my workout clothes on. When I get back, I hope you'll have an assignment ready for me!"

"Oh I will," Damian promised.

Drat. Next time she'd have to irritate him after her training session, not before.

They were going to learn a lot from each other, she could just feel it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick experiences the discomfort of the mentor/sidekick crush from the other end.

Chapter Sixteen

 

As was unfortunately normal when Dick and Roy went on dates, whether with each other or not, the restaurant they chose to have dinner at was targeted by an unstable villain. They each crammed themselves into a toilet stall to change into their costumes, Dick grumbling about how they hadn't even selected an upscale place to eat.

Although to be fair, it didn't seem like Harley Quinn was there to rob anyone. It looked like she'd run into a building full of civilians to make pursuit a bit trickier. This suspicion was confirmed when they caught her muttering "Let's see…hostage, hostage, hostage…" under her breath while she scanned the room.

Dick actually felt a little sorry for her when he and Roy raced back in, Dick poised with his escrima sticks and Roy sporting his robotic arm, already taking aim with his bow.

"Oh…as though this thing couldn't go any more wrong. Oh well. If I gotta get taken in at least the boys are cute. Alright, I surrender." She held her hands in the air, but neither crime fighter lowered their weapons.

"If you're concealing anything dangerous Quinn…"

"Take all the fun out of life!" And then Harley dumped an odd assortment of weapons onto the floor, and though they both watched her do it, neither man was quite sure where in her skintight costume she'd pulled them from. Roy was a little curious about how she planned on using the chattering teeth, but not curious enough to ask.

Dick took a few careful steps towards the peppy criminal, and that's when the person who had chased Harley into the restaurant to begin with made their entrance. A very pissed off Selina Kyle charged into the room ready to crack her whip. She stopped when she realized there was an arrow aimed at her chest. "Why hello there junior," she purred, ignoring Roy in favor of Dick.

"Hey Selina. So what the hell's going on?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I do know that I'd rather not be a part of it," Selina said in a steely voice, eyes trained on Harley in an expression of smoldering rage Dick was used to seeing aimed at Bruce. Hoo boy. He was starting to think he'd have been better off just ignoring the fight.

"Yeah, I figured!" Harley snapped petulantly. "I was gonna leave you alone!" Her hands were still in the air, and Selina took advantage of that to jab her in the ribs with the butt of her whip.

"Really? Because I recollect you threatening to use Jervis Tetch's gear on me if I didn't join you on your little team up. By the way Nightwing, you boys ought to know that a group of particularly nasty human beings are collaborating in our city."

"Yeah, you know it happens often enough not to be that big a deal. Still though, I'll pass the info along and we can keep an eye on it. So who's in the team up?" Dick asked. Harley stuck her tongue out at him, and Selina jabbed her in the ribs again.

"I don't care how much ya poke me Kitty, I ain't squealing!"

"I'm guessing Ivy's along. Harley doesn't suit up much without her or the psychotic clown, and he isn't very social," Selina said. "And considering her poor choice of threat, I'd assume the Mad Hatter."

"Thanks Selina."

"So what, are you on their side again or something? And excuse me for not getting the memo!" Harley yelled.

Selina sneered at her. "I'm on my own side, and I always have been." She turned to Dick again with a sultry smirk. "But you can tell him I said hi. He hasn't been returning my calls you know."

"I'll bug him for you."

"Thanks."

"You're letting her leave?" Roy muttered as Selina took a leisurely exit. Dick shrugged.

"She kinda has been on our side lately. C'mon, let's escort Zippy to Arkham."

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Harley was unnervingly quiet for the duration of the trip, and she kept staring at Roy. Finally, just as they got to the hospital, she regarded him with a comically exaggerated look of scrutiny and then made a throwaway comment that turned his blood to ice in his veins. "You know, you don't look nothing like your kid."

Before Dick could stop him, Roy grabbed Harley by the throat with his robotic arm and crushed her into the wrought iron gates. "And just what the fuck do you know about my kid?"

"Hey, let go! You're choking her! Red Arrow!" Dick grabbed at Roy's arm, but Vic had constructed one hell of a prosthetic. Even throwing his full weight at the appendage, Dick couldn't get it to move.

Harley choked out something that sounded vaguely like 'Chesh' and Roy relaxed his hold enough to let her breathe. She let out a few wheezy breaths and eyed him fearfully. "I wasn't threatening or nothing, honest! I don't go after kids!"

"Unless you're with the Joker," Dick reminded her.

"Yeah, well I ain't with Mr. J right now! And I'm right too, because you don't look a thing like Chesh, and your kid looks like her, so there."

"You're working with Cheshire?" Roy asked. Harley eeped and ducked out of his range, lest he go to choke her again.

"Oops. Well you know what, you still don't know much about who I'm working with, because Kitty was only right about Ivy! We just stole some of Jervis' stuff, so there! I mean…uh…oh dang, Ivy's gonna make me sleep on the couch for this one."

"Just what are you guys up to?" Dick asked, not liking the sound of that team up in the least. He hated fighting Cheshire. She was as good as Damian, and she fought as dirty as Bruce.

"I ain't saying nothing else, and you can let your crazy friend strangle me all you want but it won't do you any good," Harley sniffed, doing her best to look defiant.

"Alright, if you insist." Roy went to grab her again, and Dick pushed his way between them.

"Back off," he warned. Harley clung to him with another eep, and he turned his head to give her a frustrated look. "You too."

"Sorry!" She immediately let go of Dick and backed up a couple of steps. "Just don't let him crush my throat again. I don't let guys do that to me no more."

Dick rolled his eyes. He turned to his boyfriend with a pleading expression. "C'mon, she wasn't threatening your daughter, she was just…being Harley. Can we drop her off and go?"

"Please?" Harley asked. Roy growled at her and she shrank away from him.

"Fine."

Dick nudged Harley in the back, and they resumed their walk through the gates of Arkham. Roy strode sullenly next to Dick, a grim expression on his face. "If anything happens to her because of these psychos…"

"We'll keep an eye on it, I promise."

The meeting with Harley pretty thoroughly killed the mood. They changed back into civilian clothes and drove to the manor so Roy could pick up Lian, all the while in a tense silence. The old house was silent when they walked in, the heavy atmosphere only furthering the grim mood.

Dick sighed, and touched Roy's good arm. "I'm sure Lian will be fine, okay? Harley really doesn't go after innocents unless she's pressured into it and she's a gossip. She was probably just bugging Cheshire, and when she found out Cheshire had a kid, well, I could see Harley not letting that one go."

"Uh huh. Dick, there's no way you can spin 'the Joker's ex-girlfriend knows about my kid' in a way that won't make me worried."

Dick chewed his lip and nodded, since it was a valid point. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault. Hey…I'm not mad at you, okay? I'm just mad."

"I know, I get it." Dick leaned in for a quick kiss. "We'll have to try getting dinner again next week. Maybe we can make it to dessert next time."

"We have to wait a week?"

"I've got some leads I need to check out, so I'm going to be busy for awhile. You're welcome to come with, but it won't be very romantic. I'm going undercover in a drug lab. Oh, and rooftop stakeouts." And there was nothing but rain in the forecast.

To Dick's surprise, Roy actually looked a little tempted before he refused. "Nah, Lian's got a science fair to get ready for. I'm gonna be busy helping her with that." He scowled. "I'd rather be working undercover than making a solubility…something or other."

"Well it sounds like we're both working with chemists, if you're liberal with the definition."

"I guess…any thoughts on where the kids are?"

"Dunno." Dick sincerely hoped they weren't anywhere near Damian's bedroom. Not that he thought there was a chance of Damian trying anything with a barely-thirteen year old girl (especially given his pre-date jitters over Jai, something Dick still needed to be caught up on), but he didn't think there was a chance on earth of convincing Roy of that if he saw his little girl in a boy's room.

Roy pulled out his phone and texted Lian. "What room would you call the one we're standing in?"

"Uh…first floor parlor."

Roy looked up from his phone. "I thought the one we were just in was the parlor."

"No, that's the den. We don't really use the den. This is the parlor."

"Even when Ollie's loaded his houses are never as confusing as this."

A few minutes later Lian came skipping into the room, Damian brooding silently behind her. She threw her arms around Roy's neck and leaned up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Hey Daddy! Did you guys have a good time?"

"Sure." Roy wasn't particularly convincing, and his perceptive child picked right up on it. She didn't say anything about it, though her expression was plenty curious as they took their leave. Dick and Damian stood on the porch and watched them drive off together.

"So what'd you guys do while we were gone?" Dick asked, figuring it was a good way to start a conversation.

"Certainly nothing to be concerned over," Damian snapped. Before Dick could figure out what that was supposed to mean, Damian threw another out-of-nowhere comment at him. "So you know Grayson, I do understand that you have the right to make your own choices with regards to your love life, even if they are poorly conceived and turn out to be horrendous mistakes. I'm not attempting to exercise control over you, I'm just concerned."

"Uh…alright. Damian? Is everything okay?"

"Fine." And with that he stalked away.

Dick shook his head. "It's times like this when I wish I had someone sane and well-adjusted I could talk to." Unfortunately, he was pretty sure he didn't actually know anyone like that. He settled for changing back into his tights and meeting up with Tim for a distracting patrol through the city instead.

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Hartley Robert Rathaway had been a problem child during his teen years. He'd rebelled against his wealthy, socially conservative parents in every way he could think of. He read Marx at the dinner table, brought up human rights violations the one time his father attempted taking him along on a business meeting, and he intentionally failed all his classes. When his father bribed him a place at an Ivy League university he got kicked out before his first round of midterms, something he repeated every time his father got him into a new Ivy.

And then there was his criminal record. He was brought home by the police for the first time when he was fourteen, but his family's reputation kept him from actually getting arrested until he was seventeen.

Maybe that's why Hartley bonded so strongly with Jai (even though Irey was his godchild), because he remembered what it felt like, not living up to your family's expectations. He'd gone as far as he could the other way to make it seem like he'd never been trying to begin with. That way he wasn't the one failing, because his parents had been the ones with the problems, not him.

At any rate, Piper was a bit surprised to find Jai sitting on his front stoop at eleven o'clock Monday morning, but only a bit. Jai showed up at his place unannounced all the time, just not usually when school was in session. Added to that, Piper was just returning from a morning coffee with Linda, where he'd heard her complain about Jai's behavior problems at school, and his recent team up with Robin. He found it troubling that Linda seemed fully convinced Jai had been on that team up instead of a date.

Sighing, Piper approached the teen, preparing himself for an uncomfortable encounter. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

Jai shrugged. "I'm already grounded, so I didn't think it'd really matter if I skipped."

"Take it from someone who knows…you can actually shorten your sentence with good behavior, but further bad actions extend it."

"Yeah, but I need to talk to you, and I didn't want to wait a week." Jai stood up and patiently waited while Piper unlocked his door and turned off his sound traps. They headed into his workshop together, and Jai leaned against a drafting table while Piper sat down across from a desk cluttered with half-finished prototype flutes. He swiveled his chair around so he was facing the moody teenager. "Alright. What's up?"

Jai's eyes darted around the room nervously for a moment before he fixed a defensive expression of disdain on his face. "So…you know how when my dad realized you were gay he ran down the side of a building to get away from you?"

Piper remembered the moment vividly. He'd been sure he'd scared off his friend, and subsequently spent the afternoon alternating between sorrow and bitterness. Thankfully, after taking some time to process the new information about Piper and pry his shiny yellow boot out of his mouth, Wally had become one of the most supportive straight friends Piper had ever had. He still said insensitive things sometimes, but he always meant well, and the two old friends joked about the building thing. After all, it was a pretty funny story.

Although he could see how the story would cease being funny to a closeted teenage son.

"That was a long time ago Jai," Piper said carefully. "Your father has changed a lot since then, and he's grown."

"Well, um…do you think that he'd still…um, do you think he'd run away like that if it was his son instead of his friend?"

Piper had underestimated this. The story clearly wasn't just not-funny, it was terrifying.

And this was the most important way Piper hadn't lived up to his parents' expectations. It was clearly something he and Jai had in common. Well, mostly…Piper didn't think for a minute that the Wests would respond the way the Rathaways had.

"I can't see your parents being anything but supportive of you. They love you Jai, and they only want you to be happy."

"I don't think they want me to be gay though. Mom always jokes about me marrying Lian and, and Dad…I already disappoint him so much because I don't have powers. I'm not trying to be like him like Irey is, and he doesn't love me as much as her. I don't think he ever will."

Piper shook his head. He could see how Jai had come to that conclusion, but it just wasn't remotely true. Wally loved both of his children. He was a little closer with Irey since they had more in common though.

"Jai, Wally used to have a problem with gays. He used to think it was unnatural and that there was something wrong with us, but he hasn't felt that way since well before you were born."

"He doesn't like same sex marriage," Jai pointed out.

Piper scowled. He and Wally fought about that one a lot. Wally honestly didn't see how changing the terminology to 'Civil Union' was a slap in the face. "He still has some room to grow, but your father is a good person and he loves you. He probably will say something stupid when you tell him though, but it'll be fine. We'll have a good laugh about it, I promise."

Jai snorted and rolled his eyes. "No kidding. I gotta tell him soon though. Last night would have been easier if Mom and Dad knew…unless they end up hating me for it."

"They won't-"

Jai silenced Piper with a look. "Did you expect your parents to react the way they did?"

Piper closed his eyes and hung his head, waiting until his insides stopped lurching quite so painfully before he tried speaking again. Whenever he thought of his parents, the first thing that came up was the false memory of having killed them and it still hurt, even after all these years.

The very real memory of crying himself to sleep in his car the night he ran away, when his father had told him he wished he'd never been born and that he was disgusting, that he was ashamed of having a son like Hartley…that wasn't any better than the fake memory.

"I never thought my parents would do what they did. But it was a different time." Piper's voice lacked the strength and volume it had begun the conversation with, but the conviction was still there.

"I'm sorry Piper. I didn't mean to bring that stuff up. I'm just scared."

"I know." Piper forced a smile onto his face while images of his parents' broken bodies continued to swim unbidden through his mind. "But I think you'll be okay."

"If…if it doesn't go well, and they kick me out or something, can I come here and live with you?"

"Oh Jai, of course. But I really don't think it will come to that."

"I hope so, but just in case."

Piper wiped at his eyes, then stood up and pulled the teen into a hug. He was surprised Jai still let him get away with that; he'd stopped letting his own mother hug him at ten. But they were having a moment, and a hug was in order.

Jai did look a little embarrassed when Piper let him go though. His cheeks were beet red.

"Th-thanks Piper. I just needed to know someone had my back. Just in case."

"Well I do. I always will. Now…any chance you'll let me drive you to school?"

Jai rolled his eyes. "If you insist…can I tell you about my date on the way?"

"Of course. I've been dying of curiosity. Who were you out with?" Piper asked while he fumbled his shoes and coat on.

"Oh, I'd thought you would have guessed that by now. I went out with Robin."

"Robin?" Piper squeaked, dropping his keys.

Jai cracked up at the shocked expression on his face. "Yeah. C'mon, I wasn't that great at hiding it."

"But…but isn't this one Batman's son? Like biologically?" And with the paternal temper, from what Piper heard from Wally.

"Yep."

Piper shook his head in wonder. "Are you sure you don't want to be a superhero Jai? You're certainly brave enough."

He laughed at that one.

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That night in New York, Dick and Damian had their own version of a post-date heart to heart while Dick was on a stake-out. Dick refrained from asking Damian about his sudden change of heart regarding Roy (well, change of heart was an overstatement; the kid blatantly still hated Roy, but he wasn't being as vocal about it anymore, which Dick appreciated), though he was just as curious about that.

Dick was crouched on a rooftop in the rain, watching an anxious looking group of wannabe thugs. He almost felt bad for taking in kids like this, or would have if he didn't see what experience hardened them into. Damian was leaning against the door to the roof that the maintenance workers used, and even though he was wearing his costume it was clear from his relaxed posture that he had no intention of working.

When Dick called him on it he arched an elegant eyebrow and smiled condescendingly. "Pardon me, but I'd thought poorly armed narcotics smugglers were within your capabilities. I'm pretty sure even your ignoramus of a romantic partner could work this one on his own."

Dick rolled his eyes. "I thought you were done insulting Red Arrow."

"No, I merely said I would no longer vocalize my misgivings about you pursuing a relationship with him. I never at any point said that I would stop pointing out what an idiot he is."

"Alright. I didn't get the distinction at first," Dick said with a sigh. Damn. He'd really been hoping that after seven years of this, Damian would stop snapping about Roy. He opted for a different tactic. "Are you sure you're not jealous? Seems like if you really didn't have a crush on me you would have let this go by now."

"I do not have those kinds of feelings for you, and that is the last time I plan on repeating myself in regards to this subject!" He'd definitely gotten under Damian's skin with that one.

"Good. Then don't make me repeat myself about Red Arrow. I still don't like you insulting my boyfriend Robin, it doesn't matter what the context is. Now, if you wouldn't mind lowering your voice a bit, these stake outs are supposed to be stealthy operations."

He was surprised the kid didn't hit him for that one.

Damian did shoot him quite the withering glare though, but he missed it since his eyes were trained on his skittish thugs. "I can leave, if you'd rather."

And then Dick would be stuck with only the pins and needles sensation in his long-asleep butt for company for God know's how long. "Fine, I'll be less snarky."

"I somehow doubt that."

"I can try."

They sat in silence (well, Dick crouched and Damian leaned) for a bit, Dick watching the condemned warehouse below them, Damian lounging as though he were enjoying himself. Dick finally opted for the obvious question. "So how'd it go?"

"The date?"

"No, repairing Tim's bike after he near-totaled it. Yes the date! Did you guys have fun? Are you going to see him again?"

Damian snorted. "I should give you the boring details of repairing Red Robin's unnecessarily cumbersome cycle, considering how insufferable you've been tonight…but the date went…nicely. I have some concerns about West though."

"Cut him some slack. I'm sure he was nervous to-uh…nervous."

Damian didn't seem to like the implication that he'd been worried about the date, even though he'd admitted as much himself. He didn't snap about it though, but remained quiet for a few more beats before resuming the conversation. Dick figured he'd been glaring t the back of his head.

"He didn't behave in a nervous manner. Actually, he was rather forward."

"Oh?" Dick smirked at that. He could only imagine the kinds of actions that would come across as forward to someone like Damian.

"Yes…" Damian continued in a measured tone. "He was rather more…enthusiastic about touching me than I'd expected. I got the hang of reciprocation eventually though."

'Don't laugh-don't laugh-don't laugh,' Dick inwardly chanted. He couldn't suppress a small chuckle though. Damian turned away from him and angrily stalked across the roof. "Oh c'mon, sorry! It's just…you guys are teenagers! Teenage guys are horny. It's kinda common knowledge."

"Well it was uncomfortable!"

Dick frowned. "Well it's new for you. I wouldn't worry too much yet. Damian, you're an attractive guy. Your dates are going to want to touch you. I mean, if you don't like it then you should tell them to stop, but-"

"I know that," Damian sneered. "And, as I said, once I was practiced enough for reciprocation things were fine. It was just more than I expected for a first date. If I remember correctly, you assured me I wouldn't have to worry about tongue until the second date."

Dick laughed. "Sorry, my bad. I didn't think it'd come up. So wait, how far did you guys go?" He'd expected his godson to be intimidated by Damian. Apparently he'd been wrong.

Damian looked at him in some confusion. "Go?"

Dick rolled his eyes. "What did you do? You know, as far as touching and all that jazz goes?"

Damian was still standing behind him, so he couldn't see his admittedly impassive face as they talked. His attention had to be on the building, after all. A few months down the line though, Dick would be kicking himself for that one.

"We…well we kissed."

"Mm, got that. And he had wandering hands?"

"Yes. His hands were quite friendly, and his kisses involved the tongue. I believe that's all the pertinent information."

"Not quite," Dick said. "Are you going out with him again?"

"We didn't make any plans but…I suppose so."

Dick winced. "Remember that promise you made me? You said you weren't going to hurt him. If you don't want to see him then don't, but don't lead the poor kid on."

"I've been very candid with him so far."

"Yeah, somehow I couldn't see you doing otherwise."

Their conversation was, unfortunately, cut short by movement below. Dick leapt down sooner than was wise, driven by impatience to get his vigilante work over with so he could continue counseling his former-sidekick.

He had a bad feeling about the budding romance, and he really wanted to make sure his for-all-intents-and-purposes little brother wasn't going to unintentionally trample his godson's heart. Jai had been infatuated with Damian for a few years by that point. The kid wasn't obvious about it (Dick was pretty sure Wally had no idea), but Dick saw every subtle signal when the boys interacted. And Jai was so sensitive, and he already had some behavior issues. It would be so easy for Damian, with his blunt manners, to say entirely the wrong things and increase Jai's sense of isolation.

Jumping into a cluster of anxious rookie criminals eager to make a name for themselves while distracted, needless to say, turned out to be a bad idea. Thankfully Damian was watching even though it was supposed to be the kind of easy take down Dick could have done blindfolded. He saw the other hero get shot in the leg, and he quickly stepped in.

Two of the men were disarmed by batarang before Damian landed boot-first on a third (that one didn't get up again). When the remaining thugs saw Robin snarling at them they dropped their weapons, turned, and ran.

He had them all unconscious or tied up in under a minute, except for the one that had shot Dick. He saved that one for last.

"Don't hurt me!" the kid yelled. Damian responded with a low growl and a series of blows that broke bones, removed teeth, and turned the kid's face into a bloody pulp. Once he was unconscious Damian tossed him aside and ran to Dick's side.

"What on Earth is wrong with you? What was that?"

Dick had already torn a wider hole in his tights and removed the bullet. He was in the process of cauterizing and sterilizing the injury with supplies from his med-pack when Damian yelled at him, and so couldn't immediately answer for his hiss of pain.

"I…I got distracted…it ha-happens," he ground out.

"Amateurish behavior like that could get you killed. You're not allowed to die Nightwing, especially not from incompetence!"

Dick laughed, then rested his sweaty forehead against his raised knee. "Can you just-just help me get back to my place? You have…full permission to…urgh…to yell at me on th'way, but I don't want to be sitting here when the c-cops show up to take these assholes in."

Damian hefted Dick to his feet, and his legs promptly gave out on him as he tried to put too much weight on them. He collapsed into Damian's side. With a disdainful humph, Damian lifted the muscular, athletic crime fighter into his arms as though he were a child, and carried him from the building.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're a selfish, stupid fool. Do you know what I would go through if you were killed?"

"For the thousandth time, I'm sorry," Dick groaned.

Damian yanked Dick's mask off his face so hard he took some skin with it, yet still left behind plenty of adhesive. Dick yelped and swatted Damian's hands away from him. "You're a terrible nurse! Never mind, I'll change out of my costume and bandage this thing myself!"

"You most certainly will not as your hands are shaking too profusely to be useful. You're not allowed to die of infection either Grayson."

"Well then can you at least be gentle?"

"I'll try." And to his credit, Damian did a passable job. He was still stiff, and his movements were far from tender, but he held his rage in check and didn't hurt Dick while he helped him deal with his injury.

Helping him undress was worse than bandaging the bloody evidence of Dick's mortality in his thigh. Dick's body was a work of art; tanned and toned, and his skin was so soft, even with the hard muscle just below the surface. It was nothing like touching Jai, and Damian wished the sensations he felt while peeling his friend out of the Nightwing suit had been present while having an attractive but effeminate (and decidedly not muscular) teen writhing on his lap.

It was inconvenient, to say the least.

As soon as Dick was dressed in pajamas Damian excused himself for the bathroom 'to get painkillers.' Dick had passed out by the time he returned with them.

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Dick woke up around sunrise, feeling peaceful despite the throbbing in his leg. The atmosphere in his room was nice and serene, with the way the pink light of dawn slowly inched across the floor and the soft sounds of his and Damian's breathing. His surly protector was curled over on the other side of the bed. He'd changed out of his costume in favor of sweats, but had forgotten to take his mask off. For whatever reason, he looked right resting with it on.

After a few minutes of sleepy stillness Dick sat up, stretched out his back, and downed a couple of the tablets Damian had eventually left on his nightstand. He carefully climbed out of bed, making use of a cane that was leaning against the wall. He didn't recognize it, and wondered about where Damian had gotten a cane in the middle of the night. Deciding he didn't care enough to wake Damian and ask him about it, Dick limped into his living room, careful not to wake his guest.

Just to be an ass, he texted Roy to let him know he'd been shot. He'd have to let his boyfriend know eventually, as the unfortunate injury was going to put a damper on their bedroom activities for at least a week. Dick figured he'd have to wait a bit for a response, since Roy only saw sunrise from the wrong end, but to his surprise he got a panicked 'WTF?' in less than a minute. He was halfway through typing that he was fine when his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"What the fuck do you mean you were fucking shot? Are you fucking kidding? Is that supposed to be a joke?"

Okay, so maybe it had been a bad idea to tell him in a text. "I did get shot last night, but I'm fine. Damian was there and he-"

"Where are you?"

"My place. Roy, I'm fine."

"I'm on my way."

"Roy-" He'd hung up. "Urgh…well really Grayson, what were you expecting?"

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Roy must have called the Watchtower for a teleportation, because he showed up far too quickly to have driven. Dick hobbled to the door to let him in, and was promptly chewed out for being on his feet when he'd been shot in the leg. Roy forced him to sit down so he could examine the gunshot wound himself, even though Dick and Damian had both looked over the decidedly non-lethal injury, then he told Dick off fort being sloppy enough to get shot in the first place.

He was getting really sick of that.

Dick wondered if he could get away with hiding this one from Bruce and Tim, or if they were going to yell at him for being hurt too.

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Roy and Damian were near-constant guests for most of Dick's recovery. They still hated each other though, so aside from a really tense dinner that ended with Dick throwing them both out, they took turns.

After a week of this Dick started getting worried. If Damian was focusing his ridiculously limited social abilities on Dick, he was likely ignoring his new boyfriend. The kid's emotional responses were only capable of being stretched so thin, after all, and as he was supposed to be exploring a new relationship Dick did not want to be receiving attention meant for Jai…plus Damian kept turning red and suddenly excusing himself for the bathroom, which was just awkward.

Dick also didn't like receiving attention meant for Lian. He knew the feisty girl was probably fine, even relieved to have some space from her overprotective father, but Roy wouldn't be okay with it later. He'd panic and assume he couldn't be in a relationship because he couldn't handle being a committed partner and a good dad, and then he'd try to break up with Dick again.

So while Dick enjoyed the obvious affection that had two of the most important men in his life hovering around him, and though he loved being fussed over, he did wish they'd back off.

He thought about bringing it up when he woke from a nap to the sounds of Roy padding through his hallway. Then his boyfriend walked into the room wearing boxers and an open bathrobe, hair dripping wet, skin flushed and damp. And he was carrying a pie tin and a couple of forks.

One of the side effects of fatherhood was Roy learning how to cook. He was actually pretty fabulous at it, and he'd learned how to make pies from Alfred. This one smelled like a blueberry. It was funny how a gorgeous, mostly naked man holding a pie could make one's worries vanish.

"Hey. Hope you don't mind, but I kinda made a mess in your kitchen. I had to borrow your shower. I'll clean it up though, promise."

"Assuming you're planning to cuddle and feed me blueberry pie I don't mind at all. You can leave the mess." Dick held out his arms and, smiling, Roy climbed into bed and did just that.

Of course the cuddling gave way to groping, which included sticky, blueberry flavored kisses, though Roy stopped short when he heard a hiss that didn't sound pleasurable from his lover. "Sorry. Did I tap your leg?"

"Just a little…" Dick reached for him again and Roy started to pull away.

"Dick, you're still healing. This can wait." He sounded about as happy saying it as Dick was hearing it.

"Listen Roy, you are not allowed to prance around my apartment half naked, feed me pie, start making out with me, and then try to stop. I haven't been laid all week either because of this stupid injury, so just don't lean on my leg and we'll be fine."

"I was not prancing."

"That's what you took from that?"

Roy shut him up with a kiss, but it only kept him quiet for a heartbeat or two. Dick groaned and whined with the needy desperation of a frustrated bed-ridden sex fiend, and Roy would have loved to tease him about it, but he was feeling plenty frustrated himself.

Dick clawed the bathrobe off of him and placed wet, sucking kisses down his torso. The lithe acrobat carefully shifted position, holding his injured leg at an awkward angle to avoid Roy's knee, then he slowly moved down the bed. Dick definitely wasn't at his most sensuous, but as the end result had his head at Roy's crotch he didn't plan on complaining. Dick mouthed him through his boxers, and Roy had to bite his lip to keep from making some embarrassing noises in response. He whimpered when Dick pulled his boxers off, and moaned loudly when he was taken into that hot, warm, and oh so lovely mouth.

Meanwhile, Damian was in the elevator on his way up to Dick's apartment, wondering if the man was up to a light patrol yet. He'd been resting for a week, and all of the times Damian had been shot a week's rest had proven sufficient for low level activity. He really wanted to talk to Dick about his progress with Jai (they'd had two more dates while Dick was bedridden), but he'd prefer to do it with the comfort of a lensed domino mask obscuring his face, as opposed to the friendly atmosphere of a living room chat, which seemed to be Dick's preference.

Damian feared that he might be violating his promise to Dick in regards to Jai's feelings, but he didn't think it was his fault. He hoped to convey that to his friend.

He let himself into Dick's apartment and found the main room empty. Figuring Dick was in his bedroom, Damian headed in that direction, but stopped short when he heard heavy breathing, wet slurping noises, and a positively indecent groan that sounded like it was coming from Harper.

Suddenly Damian had a vivid recollection of being ten years old and running to assist his guardian in what he feared to be an attack, only to find him with his pants around his knees while a strange (at the time) man was pleasuring him. If he had to guess, Damian figured the situation was reversed, and that Harper was the one being pleasured. And to his horror, Damian felt his body respond enthusiastically to the thought.

'Leave. Leave now,' Damian ordered himself, but his body wouldn't obey. His body really wanted to stay and listen to what was going on in that room, and his mind wanted to fill in a possible visual. Because even though Damian didn't like Harper on a personal level, the oaf was still pleasant to look at, even in his maimed state. And even though Damian desperately wanted to feel only familial affection towards Dick, he found the man beautiful and enticing.

A new sound reached Damian's ears. It sounded like Dick was…was he humming with Harper's penis down his throat? Damian shoved his hand in his mouth and bit down to keep from making noise. God but he wanted to know what that would feel like.

Hating himself a little bit, Damian sat down next to the bedroom door, which was open a crack. He tried to get his breathing under control and did his best not to shift around too much, though he doubted the men would hear him over the racket Harper was making. Still though, even if they were amorous fools driven by base pleasures, they were also trained vigilantes, and Damian very much did not want to be discovered spying on them while they were doing…that.

He cautiously peered through the door crack. If he leaned his head just right, he could barely see them. Dick's dark head was indeed bobbing over Harper's crotch while his was thrown back in bliss. A sound he didn't recognize (it was a needy whimper) slipped past Damian's lips, and he spread his legs, feeling the sudden urge to touch himself.

'No. You are Damian Wayne, Batman's only biological child and heir to the cowl. You have a will of steel. You will not masturbate while listening to your predecessor orally pleasure a scoundrel.' Damian managed to halt his hand's progress to his pants, but he didn't get up and leave either.

He heard another obscenely wet slurping noise, accompanied by a guttural sound of loss from Harper. Damian chanced another peek into the room, and caught sight of Harper staring at Dick in a daze while Dick stripped off his t-shirt and sweatpants.

Oh God. He'd seen Dick's erection. He was never going to be able to unsee that. Damn puberty, damn it to hell. He was never going to be able to look at Dick Grayson, the man who'd help raise him, burdening himself with the unpleasant task of looking after Damian's development as an individual, without thinking of…that.

And of course, he was going to hate Harper all the more for this.

"Why'd you…?"

The mattress squeaked as Dick crawled up the bed with heavy movements lacking his usual grace. "I want to fuck you." His voice was low and hoarse, and so dirty. He sounded nothing like the brotherly figure Damian was used to. Dick was clearly getting to Roy too, because he let out a noise that Damian was too dignified to utter himself.

"God babe, I want you to too, so bad, but your leg…"

"It's healed enough."

"Dick, we will never live it down if you get hurt again from sex."

"And when have you cared about the shit people say about us?"

That silenced him for a moment. Damian listened closely, eager to know what was going to happen next. Finally, Harper spoke again.

"Be careful Dick. Really, really careful, and stop if you're straining the god damn bullet hole in your god damn leg-"

"It's mostly healed!" Dick said, in a less-than-sexy whine that sounded more like his usual self.

"If you get hurt fucking me, people will talk and I don't want Lian to hear it!"

There was another pause. "In the unlikely event I aggravate the wound, we'll say I slipped in the shower. Now will you stop it? You're really killing the mood."

"Sorry."

"You're lucky you're pretty, you know that Harper?"

"Pretty? Fuck you!"

"I thought I was fucking you this time."

"Really? Fairy boots style humor in be…oh god that's…fuck, keep doing that…"

Damian had no idea what "that" was, but it sounded incredible. Since Dick was uncharacteristically quiet, it was likely the sound of some sort of oral stimulation… He snuck another glance through the doorway, and gasped at what he saw. Because unless he was mistaken, Dick had his tongue up his boyfriend's rear, and whereas Damian had never given that activity any thought before, he wouldn't have expected it to be pleasant if he had.

Apparently he knew even less about sex than he'd realized, because both men appeared highly stimulated from the activity.

Damian didn't dare sneak any further looks into the room once the actual intercourse began. The sounds were enough anyway. Roy's concern about Dick aggravating his injury were apparently well founded (though completely forgotten), because it sounded like they were moving the bed from the force of their activity. Of course, it was hard to hear the scraping furniture or the squeaking mattress over the noises being wrested from Harper's throat. It was interesting how similar sounds of ecstasy and sounds of pain could be…and then there was Dick, who wasn't exactly being quiet himself.

The few (in actuality many) times Damian had allowed himself to imagine Dick and Roy in bed together, he'd expected Harper to be the one swearing. As it turned out, Dick had quite the foul mouth when he was copulating. It was unexpectedly erotic.

They both shouted expletives when they finished, almost at the same time. Damian noticed then that he'd bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. He needed to masturbate. He needed to leave that hallway and find a private place and take care of his arousal…and then he needed to convince himself he wasn't a terrible person for listening in on such an intimate moment.

"Are you…you're okay, right?" Harper's voice was hoarse as well now, and surprisingly tender. Damian had never heard him sound quite like that before.

"Right this minute? I'm fantastic Roy…really needed that. Love you." And Dick's voice was completely believably tender, what with him being such a sentimental fool.

"And I'm stupidly in love with you," Harper responded. "Do you need an icepack babe?"

"I'm oka-OW! Don't fucking poke it!"

"Then don't lie to me. I'll be right back with your icepack."

"I'd rather cuddle."

"I'll be right back cuddle slut. Your kitchen's not much of a hike."

Damian's heart hammered in his chest at the sound of the floorboards creaking as Harper crossed the room. He contemplated springing to his feet and darting down the hall, but Harper would most definitely see him if he did that. He was better off holding still and hoping the man didn't look down, as Damian wasn't on the side of the door closest to the kitchen.

He thought for a moment that Harper may have seen him out of the corner of his eye, but he'd only paused to stretch his back. As he flexed, Damian was treated to an excellent view of the man's firm backside, and the finger shaped bruises on his hips. In this regard, Dick couldn't be faulted for taste. Purely in terms of physical appeal, Harper was quite the specimen.

As soon as he was in the kitchen, Damian took his opportunity to flee. He locked himself in Dick's bathroom and groaned with the relief of finally getting his pants off. He took care of his problem, cleaned himself up, and then took his leave through the window.

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Meanwhile, Roy retrieved the icepack and returned to bed. He carefully placed the pack over Dick's angry looking (but actually pretty well healed) injury, and watched the stubborn ass sigh in relief. Whatever he'd said, the sex had been a bad idea.

Even if they were both smiling like idiots.

Roy settled by the pillows, and Dick promptly curled against his side, resting his head on Roy's chest. Roy shifted so he could lean down and kiss the side of Dick's face. He nuzzled affectionately, just in case they still had an audience, and whispered in Dick's ear. "Damian was in the hallway."

To his credit, the only sign of how disturbing Dick found that revelation was a slight stiffening of his back. "What?" he whispered, barely moving his lips.

"I don't think he's there anymore. My guess is he's off jacking it somewhere."

"Oh Roy that is…that is not good."

"Tell me about it." Roy combed his fingers through Dick's hair and wished he'd relax. Maybe he shouldn't have told him. After all, he couldn't see Damian bringing it up at any point, so Dick didn't really need to know.

There was one thing he wanted to ask Dick about though.

"I think the kid was checking me out."

Dick snorted. "News flash Roy, you're really hot and he's a hormonal teenager. Of course he was checking you out."

"But he hates me."

"Hormonal teenager. Besides, when has that ever stopped you from checking someone out?"

"Yeah, okay, I guess. It just seems wrong for that to come from Damian."

"In a few very select ways, he is actually a normal seventeen year old kid."

"Apparently."

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"So is that why you've been acting like such a little asshole lately?"

"Wally!"

"Oh c'mon, don't tell me he hasn't! He's turning into a punk! Skipping school and lying and sneaking around-you don't like his friends either!" Wally said accusingly.

Linda scowled at her husband. "Your son just confided in you, and you're really going to respond by attacking him on a personal level?"

"Who's attacking? I'm just saying, he's been having issues and if this is why then flippin' hooray because now we can get somewhere with it!"

From there the husband and wife continued squabbling with each other, seeming to forget about the fact that their teenage son was sitting right in front of them at the kitchen table. He sat there with downcast eyes, waiting for them to finish arguing about everything they felt to be wrong with him. Piper was going to tell him later that they were just worried about him, and their fights were expressions of their worry, but it still sucked to be sitting right there while they did it.

After about ten minutes of this, Jai grew impatient and decided to cut in. "I'm not skipping school because I'm gay!"

Linda rubbed at her eyes. "No one's saying that sweetie."

"Dad is."

"I'm not saying that, exactly," Wally said carefully. "I'm just saying, if you're upset because you're closeted, which I hear is hard, then maybe being out will take some of the pressure off. You didn't have to hide this from us you know."

Jai stared at him blankly. So Piper was right. "You don't…care?"

"Oh sweetie of course not. We love you, you know that." Linda sat down in the chair next to him and squeezed his hand. His father sat down on his other side and offered him a small, genuine smile. It was the kind of expression he wore when he and Irey came back from a patrol together.

"We're here for you Jai. Always will be, promise."

Jai looked down and wiped at his eyes, which had started watering. "Okay…I…I'm…thanks for not flipping out."

"What did you expect me to do?" Wally asked curiously.

"I dunno. Run down the side of a building?" Linda teased.

"That was years ago!" Wally exclaimed. "And c'mon, it's not like Piper's still mad. He was only upset by it for one afternoon."

"Um…is it okay if I go upstairs now and call Piper? I want to tell him that I…that you guys acted just like he said you would."

"Give me a hug first, okay?" Linda held out her arms, and Jai willingly hugged her for the first time since elementary school, grateful that his parents didn't think he'd failed them.

It would have been pretty cool to live with Piper though.

He was forced to hug his dad before they let him leave, and to his relief they didn't start talking about him again until he was on his way upstairs. Irey was standing at the top of the stairs by his bedroom. She offered him a small smile, mouthed 'told you so', then went into her room.

Jai opened his door and absently walked into his room, phone in hand and dialing Piper, but he abruptly ended the call when he saw Damian Wayne sitting on his bed by an open window.

"Hello Jai."

"H-hey. I thought we weren't getting together again until Saturday."

"Our arrangements were for Saturday, however I've been thinking recently about our…our sexual exploration."

"Uh huh…" Jai checked that his door was securely shut and locked it.

"I think I'd like to take the process a little further."

"…now?"

"Well not this very instant, but…perhaps tonight?"

Jai grinned. "Tonight totally works for me." He tossed his phone across the room and climbed onto the bed next to Damian. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, as your entire family seems to be home I thought perhaps we could go out somewhere, get dinner, and..." Damian's voice faltered. The guy had a really hard time talking about physical intimacy considering how tempting it was to be physically intimate with him. Jai had always figured a drop dead gorgeous billionaire wouldn't have any problems finding a date, but apparently that wasn't the case.

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against Damian's, keeping the pressure warm and gentle until he felt the other boy start to relax. "Dinner sounds great. Just let me go ask my parents if I can go on a date tonight, and I'll meet you outside."

"Did you tell them?" Damian asked, looking a bit surprised.

Jai smiled. "Kinda. I told them I'm gay, and I think that's enough for right now. I'll see you in a sec, okay?"

Damian didn't bother asking what Jai would do if his parents wouldn't let him go out on a school night. He seemed to realize that that wouldn't change Jai's plans. Damian climbed back out the window, and a few minutes later Jai got into the front passenger seat of his car.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian and Lian have some one-on-one time. Dick and Piper take issue with their mutual friend.

Chapter Seventeen

Linda Park-West stood in front of her living room window, sipping a mug of tea and watching the quiet suburban street. It was almost two in the morning and she was the only one home. Her husband and daughter were off-planet with her in-laws, fighting some sort of speed aliens she'd never heard of. After this many years of marriage to a superhero, she had a hard time keeping the nemeses straight.

She wasn't really worried about them though. Wally did an admirable job keeping Irey safe even when he wasn't backed up by Barry and Bart. She was worried about her son.

Jai had asked permission to go out for a couple of hours even though it was a school night (and even though he was still supposed to be grounded, what with having snuck out and skipped school multiple times during his original grounding). He'd asked right after opening up to his parents about his sexuality. She'd thought that they'd had a breakthrough, that Jai was going to start trusting them…

Linda walked across the room and plucked a framed photo off the mantle. It had been taken shortly after the twins were born and showed Wally half crawling over the hospital bed with Irey in his arms, leaning over to give Linda a kiss on the cheek. Being surprised with childbirth had taken a lot out of her, so she wasn't exactly holding Jai; it was more accurate to say that the newborn baby had been placed in her arms for the sake of the photo and a bonding moment. At any rate, it was a beautiful picture and whenever Linda worried about her children she liked to look at it, remind herself that she and Wally had already lost them once, and be thankful that even if things weren't perfect, they always had the potential to get better because the children were alive. As long as they were still there, she could hope.

Even before the attack that had made Irey the twin with sole command of the speedforce and irrevocably turned her into a Daddy's girl, Linda had known that Jai was going to be a momma's boy. They'd been closer. Irey was a girl of action and heart, just like her father, while Jai was a boy of measured analysis, much like his mother. But lately she felt that she was losing that connection. He'd turned so secretive, so moody. Which he'd always been, but the teen years were exaggerating those traits.

She missed her little guy.

Sighing, Linda set the picture back on the mantle, checked the time with her cellphone, then went back to the front window and continued her vigil.

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Meanwhile in Gotham city, the Dark Knight was having his own misgivings about his child. Damian had left that morning to check up on Dick, a habit Bruce fully encouraged. He knew that Damian got something out of the relationship that he himself was unable to give his son, though he wished it were otherwise. At any rate, he was glad the two were spending time together out of costume in what could be argued as a comparatively normal situation (it would have been better if Dick were recovering from say an illness instead of a gunshot wound, but still. He'd take what he could get).

He'd expected Damian back in time for patrol, but wasn't terribly concerned when he set out without a Robin by his side. Perhaps they'd gotten caught up in their social activities, or perhaps Dick had asked Damian to check in on something crime fighting related in New York. It would make sense. Obviously Dick couldn't patrol his city at the moment.

He still wished someone had called him. It's not like it would have taken much time.

After an extended fight with Clayface Bruce checked the time and realized it was almost midnight. Well that was just ridiculous. Even considering how close Damian and Dick were, Bruce was the teen's guardian and he deserved a phone call if Damian was going to be out of the city overnight. He called Dick's cell, hoping there was a good excuse for their thoughtless behavior.

The phone rang for quite a long time considering Dick was currently an invalid and therefore bedridden, theoretically with his phone in easy reach. When it went to voicemail Bruce went from slightly annoyed to decidedly irritated. He called back a few times until Dick finally answered.

"Oh hey…I, uh…my phone was in another room and I didn't-didn't hear it. Shouldn't you be out patrolling though?"

"I am," Bruce growled. He was cruising around the city in the batmobile keeping an eye out for trouble while he talked. "You're on speakerphone. Where is Damian?"

"He's…not with you?"

That hesitant response sounded much more genuine than the uncomfortable rambling Dick had greeted him with. Bruce felt his stomach lurch. "No, I haven't seen him since he left to visit you in the morning."

"Oh…well, well I'm sure he's fine. He'll probably turn up soon-"

"He's supposed to patrol with me every night unless he has other engagements, and if he has other engagements he's supposed to inform me of them. Something must be wrong. I'll activate his tracking signal. You didn't notice anything suspicious when he was there, did you? When did he leave? Did anyone appear to be following him or paying him an unusual amount of attention?"

"Uh-uh Bruce, you really shouldn't panic…I'm pretty sure he's okay, he's just, uh…"

Bruce pulled over to the side of the road, closed his eyes, and forced himself to take a deep breath. It didn't do anything for his irritation, despite his years of experience with Zen meditation. "Will you just spit it out?"

"Kay, I think he's okay, just, um, probably in need of, uh…some space…because he…he…hesawmehavingsex. And uh…I think he's…um…issues?"

Bruce counted to five in his head. He'd really thought that back when Dick had become a legal adult the man's horrendously complicated sex life would never need to be his concern again. That was decidedly not the case, and Bruce hated the world a little more for it. "Alright. And what did he do after that?"

"Broke out of my place through the bathroom window without speaking to me."

He frowned, considering. "I don't see how walking in on someone could cause enough awkwardness to go off the grid for an entire night. I still think we should look into his well-being."

"See though…he didn't just, like, walk into the room and walk out again. He, uh…hid and watched. And Roy saw him and…yeah. So, so I think he just needs some space for a bit."

"So you're saying my son is a voyeur?"

Dick took a little while to answer. "Voyeur's probably not the right word…I mean, I don't think he's making a habit of this or anything. Unless you count stakeouts, which we as an extended family unit have decided not to do. But uh…he's got some hang-ups. About me. I'd thought we'd taken care of it, but uh…you might wanna have a sex talk with him or something."

"I see. Well, thanks for passing along this information far too late to be at all helpful."

"Oh fuck you! I'm the one who's been doing all the heavy lifting in this mentoring situation. You think this has been pleasant for me? That I'm treating his emotional health lightly? Go fuck yourself." Dick hung up on him and, with a sigh, Bruce turned off the speakerphone. He likely wasn't going to be able to get the man on the line again.

As far as he could tell he had three options regarding his son. He could do as Dick suggested by giving the boy some space and continuing his patrol, or he could locate him and force a confrontation about his feelings, which wasn't appealing. In fact, he was pretty sure that would just be cruel for the both of them.

And then there was the last option. He could conduct an investigation about Damian's recent unsupervised activities without letting the boy know.

That last one sounded right up his alley. Bruce headed back to the Cave to hack into his son's computer files and rifle through his personal possessions.

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Early the next morning two teenage boys in rumpled clothes snuck into their homes through their bedroom windows (Jai had needed some help, but once Damian showed him which neighbor's tree to jump from, he'd been fine), both completely convinced that their parents were none the wiser about their nocturnal activities. Jai fell asleep with a rare contented smile on his face, while Damian came near a doze with a serene look that wasn't quite a smile.

Then his eyes rested on the newspapers stacked on his desk. They were in a different order than he'd left them in that afternoon.

Damian shot across the room and examined his desk, then his closet and dresser as well. Satisfied that nothing else was awry, he dismissed it as a result of Pennyworth tidying up the room and went back to sleep.

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The next few weeks passed in some semblance of normalcy. Dick began taking up patrols again, though since he was having issues with Batman and Robin (Bruce didn't appreciate him getting snippy, and on the few occasions Damian was forced into his presence he avoided looking at Dick and said as little as possible until he could leave) he stopped visiting Gotham. Roy tagged along with him when he patrolled the streets of New York, and he returned the favor by visiting Keystone at least a few times a week.

Lian had mixed feelings about the increased frequency of Dick's visits. She liked spending time with him, and she loved seeing her dad so happy, but their house had really thin walls…

On the plus side, when Roy was happily distracted by his boyfriend, he wasn't as smothering as a parent, and she was able to sneak in more of those training sessions with Damian. She felt bad about hiding it from her dad (although really, she wasn't lying to him), but she needed more training than he was willing to give her.

Some day they were going to butt heads about her putting on a costume. Lian wanted to follow in her dad's footsteps and be Speedy (only when Mia was done with the codename though), but the few times she'd brought it up he'd iced over and she'd dropped the subject. It was clear he didn't want her to put on the costume, she just couldn't figure out why.

At any rate, she was determined to do it with or without his blessing, and at the moment Damian was the best teacher she had available to help her get ready for her future in spandex.

She was beginning to regret her choice in instructor though. Sure, Damian was an incredibly talented fighter, possibly the best she'd ever seen (and she's seen a lot of fighters), and she was learning a lot from him. But he was also the most condescending asshole she'd ever encountered (and again, she'd met a lot of those too). Part of the reason she was turning out to be such a quick study was because she fantasized about using some of her new techniques on her teacher.

Oh how she longed to get a hit on that smug fuckstick.

Lian practiced in secret whenever her dad went on patrol (which was less and less the longer they lived in Keystone City; the speedsters kept telling him he could stay in with his daughter where he was really needed) or when he was out with Dick. The week Dick got injured turned out to be a good one for her. Roy was gone so much that Lian had enough time to pick the locks to the safes in his bedroom closet and use his equipment to train. She familiarized herself with all her dad's trick arrows and assorted firearms, and used his weights to work on her upper body strength, which despite all her practice with archery was still a weakness.

Damian commented on her improvement the next time they met. They were in the Batcave "studying together" at the time (which really wasn't much of a lie).

"You've made a modest amount of progress since last time. I think you're fighting at the level I was when I was four."

Lian knew it was meant to be a compliment, but it still made her want to use that wrist thing he'd just shown her on him. "I think we should spar now," she said, hoping her voice sounded as sweet and friendly as usual.

At least he never noticed when she tried to kill him with her eyes.

"But I've only demonstrated two new techniques, and you're by no means proficient in them."

"No no, I think I'm feeling a spar. C'mon, let's go."

"If you insist."

Angry as she was, sparring right away was its usual bad plan. Damian pinned her effortlessly over and over and over again. He was more than a foot taller than her and had a significant amount of weight on her, plus his years of experience.

It was still infuriating though.

"Are you sure you wouldn't profit more from further instruction?"

"N-nah. Let's…let's keep going." She climbed back to her feet, refusing his offered hand, and took up the first defensive stance he'd shown her, willing her tired body to cooperate.

He flattened her another few times. At that point Lian was a sweaty mess; her clothes were damp and sticky, her face was flushed from exertion, most of her hair had come out of her ponytail, and she was ridiculously sore, but she was determined. Today was the day. She was going to take that self-satisfied prick down a peg by actually tapping him.

And then she did.

Lian managed to hit Damian's nose with the heel of her hand, spectacularly breaking it and knocking him back a few steps. She was seized with the urge to kick him in the crotch while he was distracted, but it was quickly overwhelmed by horror at what she'd done.

"Oh my god I'm sorry!" Lian squealed.

Damian cupped his hands to his nose, quietly groaning in pain. "S'ogay…I'be brogen by nose before. I cad atted do id byself." Damian's voice was muffled by his hands. His clipped, scary voice sounded pretty ridiculous with "broken nose accent". It would have been funny if Lian wasn't distressed about having injured her friend.

"I…I broke it? Really?" She felt a little bad about how proud of herself she was for that.

Damian took a few careful breaths through his mouth before answering, and when he did his consonants were clearer than they had been. "Yes. You should be proud."

He strode over to an alcove in the Cave that clearly acted as a sort of hospital room. There were a few cots along one wall, and the counters were brimming with medical supplies and equipment that Lian had to kind of wonder about. Did people get suspicious when Bruce Wayne bought CAT scanners and X-Ray machines for personal use?

Damian started taking care of his injury, and Lian hovered nearby, feeling awkward and increasingly guilty. He let out small hisses of pain as he packed his nostrils with cotton, and a few more when he straightened the bridge and applied the bandage. When they sparred, Damian flipped her around a lot and sometimes he bruised her a little, but he'd never actually hurt her.

"I'm really sorry Damian."

"For what?" he asked, sounding sincerely confused.

"Uh…for breaking your nose." Which really should have been obvious.

"Please don't be. This is what I'm training you to do, after all. Besides that, novice fighters have a certain level of unpredictability to them due to their incomplete understanding of proper technique. I should have been paying more attention, so really it's more my fault for my negligence than yours."

"…you weren't giving me your full attention? Even when I was trying to attack you?" She probably should have kicked him in the junk when she'd had the chance. So Lian was that little of a threat was she?

Damian sat down on one of the cots, and now that he was facing her some of Lian's anger vanished. He looked pretty miserable with his downcast eyes, nostrils packed with red tinged cotton, and the bruising around his bandaged nose. It would be such a shame if it healed funny. He had such a pretty face whenever he wasn't scowling.

"Yeesh. Uh…is your dad going to be concerned when he sees you like that?"

"Likely not. As I've said, I've broken my nose before."

"My dad would flip his nut, but then, I guess I don't get into many situations where I'm likely to come home injured. Plus he's kinda overprotective."

"Yes, he is rather possessive in regards to those he cares about," Damian said sourly.

Lian couldn't help laughing, and the boy pouted more strongly. "Aw…you don't like sharing Uncle Dick, do you?"

"I already share him with an unnerving amount of people, as the fool is far too social for his own good. And frankly, your father demands more attention than all of the others combined."

Lian giggled again and sat down next to him. "Yup. I love it though, because it gets him off my back a little. I'd never get away with these training sessions if Daddy was still single. So…what has you so distracted that I got a hit on you? Everything okay sweetie?"

"Sweetie?" Damian regarded her with obvious confusion.

Lian shrugged, face flushing. "You said not to call you Dami. I use pet names with people and sweetie's one of my stock ones."

"It seems incongruous with my personality."

"Yeah…I guess I could be ironic and call you sunshine," she suggested in a bright tone of voice that actually made him flinch.

Damian sighed. "If you really feel you must, you may call me Dami. But don't let anyone hear you doing it. I don't want that to catch on."

Lian smiled at him and watched in some satisfaction as his cheeks colored. "I promise to be very careful. So…you are okay, right? I mean, you're not usually this distant."

"In that you've never come close to striking me before, let alone actually accomplishing the feat."

Lian was tempted to bop his broken nose, but she settled for an eye roll. "Yeah, that. C'mon, I'm supposed to be helping you too, and I haven't really been pulling my weight." They'd briefly talked about his assignment, Lian had pressured him to carry it further and not insult Roy at all, and Damian had refused. The lessons in sociability had yet to be revived.

"Actually you have been helping me quite a lot. I enjoy our meetings," Damian murmured, all quiet sincerity. And it was moments like that that renewed her crush on the older boy. He could be an ass sometimes, but it was because he had no filter. He was the most painfully open and honest person Lian had ever met.

Plus he had really pretty eyes.

She took a second to recover from the fluttery feeling in her stomach before speaking. "Well I'm still supposed to be doing more than just coming over. I don't think being here is enough to make you socially competent, and this is a good opener. If you need to talk about something, I'll listen. It's something friends do for each other."

"I'm aware, and I've no doubt that you would listen. However, this…matter…is exceptionally private. I'm having romantic difficulties and I'd rather not dissect them."

"Oh." Well that solved the problem of the fluttery sensation, but the hollowness that replaced it was worse. "You're dating?"

"Not particularly skillfully, but yes. I started seeing someone I only had slight affection for to distract myself from an infatuation, and it's not working. If anything, the infatuation has increased in intensity while my feelings towards my romantic partner have diminished."

Lian did her best to push aside her jealousy so she could be a good friend and console Damian, but she still indulged in a cheerful fantasy of setting the faceless bitch on fire as she kicked her off of Wayne Tower. "Oh. Well that sucks. Lemme guess…your girlfiend's pretty but doesn't have enough else going for her?"

Damian smirked. "Not quite. To begin with, I'm seeing a male. I've recently discovered that I'm bisexual."

Lian felt her heart sink and then fill with hope at the successive revelations. If the beautiful super genius who'd brought her back to life and then saved it less than six months later turned out to be gay then the universe was just intimately painful. If he was bisexual then she could still hope he'd return her interest someday.

"And my boyfriend has rather a lot of good qualities," Damian continued. "He's very attractive, though I wish he were more…masculine I guess. Which is odd, because I do enjoy effeminacy…just in women."

Lian nodded. "But you like guys who look like guys."

"There is a certain amount of logic to it. My boyfriend is also fairly intelligent and quite clever. He knows about a variety of subjects I have very little experience with and…he's patient with me. I feel like I ought to like him more than I do."

"Maybe you will," Lian said, hoping she sounded more sympathetic than she felt. After all, who was more patient with Damian's eccentricities than her? "How long have you guys been dating?"

"A few weeks."

"Do you see each other a lot?"

"As often as possible, given my commitments. I just…keep comparing him to my infatuation. Which is unacceptable, I realize that, but I suppose I'd been hoping for that same level of intimacy in a romantic relationship."

"So you've got a crush on Uncle Dick too, huh?" Lian asked, feeling genuine sympathy this time. Ever since the first day of her resurrection, she'd felt a little uncomfortable any time Dick smiled at her. It weirded her out to no end.

Damian bristled. "I never said that."

"Dami, he's the only human being you have emotional intimacy with and he's really, really pretty. It really doesn't take a Bat to figure this one out."

Damian didn't say anything. He slouched down on the cot, lips set in a thin, angry line, and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

Lian patted his knee. "Hey, it could be worse. Your first silly childhood crush could be fucking your dad. Every chance he gets. Even when you're home and sitting in the next room."

That startled a laugh out of him. "I suppose that would be much worse."

"Yeah…the other day Uncle Dick showed up and gave me a present. New headphones. I think I turned red when I opened the bag."

Damian regarded her thoughtfully. "So you've got feelings for him yet you refer to him as Uncle Dick…I would think that would make it more uncomfortable."

"Oh no, it's a defense mechanism to try to dissuade myself from fantasizing about him. I mean, how more off limits could a guy get? Not only is the man old enough to have changed my diapers when I was a baby, but he's the love of my dad's life. Can you say awkward? And I know it's just a stupid thing and that I'll get over it, so he'll always have Uncle before his name to remind me of all that. In fact, if you ever hear me injecting 'Uncle Dick' into a conversation where I don't need to be saying his name every other minute, it's because I'm getting flustered."

"Oh. That explains a lot."

"Mm hm. So yeah, calling him that mentally reinforces that he's a bad choice for a crush. His old mental nickname was Captain Sexybum."

Damian clapped a hand over his mouth. Lian watched in amazement as he struggled not to laugh. "That is…a fitting appellation for him. His posterior is quite incredible."

"Oh my god yes. I've never seen an ass like that before, male or female. Unfortunately…I know for a fact that my dad thinks so too."

Damian winced. "Yes…let's not speak about that."

"Yeah, that was dumb of me. Uh…so what do you want to do now?"

Damian considered for a moment. "I actually feel a bit better regarding my emotions. Thank you Lian."

"Not a problem. It's what I do."

"Well you do it quite well."

She beamed with pride at that. His next sentence sank her back into a scowl though.

"However, your footwork is absolutely atrocious. Now that I won't be as distracted, I think we ought to continue with your lessons. I'm sure I can get you much nearer to basic competency before your father comes to get you."

"Whoop de doo."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, Dick? Are our kids dating?"

Dick had been driving home from Roy's when he'd seen Wally and pulled over to say hi. It had been over a month since his injury, and weeks since Damian had spied on him and Roy in bed. He could count the number of times he'd been in the same room with Damian since on one hand, and they'd all been exceptionally awkward.

It was amazing how much free time he had when Damian wasn't speaking to him, which was unexpected. Damian wasn't very chatty, but lo and behold, he was a surprisingly near-constant presence in Dick's life. He missed his little creeper…

At any rate, more free time meant more time at Roy and Lian's (Lian kept asking when he was going to move in), and that meant bumping into Wally a bit more since the two former Titans lived up the street from each other. Since Dick never saw enough of his nearly-lifelong best friend, he'd accepted Wally's invitation to go out and get a drink together. He was starting to regret that decision.

God damn this was going to suck.

"Wally…I can't talk about this with you."

"But he's my son-"

"Which means he needs to tell you this stuff himself. It's really not my place."

Wally frowned, staring down at the bar with a pout. "He already told me he was gay, so y'know, you wouldn't be outing him or anything. I know you guys don't like to do that to each other. But he just didn't tell me anything else. And, well, he's always meeting up with Damian, and then the other day I found a half empty box of condoms in his room…"

Dick started at that unexpected bit of news. One reason why he was only slightly unnerved by Damian's silence with him was because he expected that if the kid had any kind of serious development in his personal life, he'd take the initiative to break his silence and mend the rift out of necessity. Apparently Dick was wrong.

He couldn't believe Damian had lost his virginity without talking to him about it first. Especially considering how nervous the kid had been about just kissing another boy…

Dick gave himself a little shake and returned to the unpleasant task at hand. Wally was clearly waiting for an answer, which sucked because Dick was hoping he could change the subject. It didn't look like Wally was going to let himself get misdirected without a fight. "Look, I'm sorry dude, but I just can't. You're straight, you wouldn't get it."

"I really don't see what that has to do with this," Wally snapped.

Dick sighed. "We don't rat each other out to parents, okay? It's kind of like the closet thing." Which was a good call of Wally's, and something Dick was a little surprised he remembered. Dick and Roy had always been careful about how many people found out about their on-again-off-again relationship, and Wally was almost solely responsible for everyone who knew about it that they hadn't wanted to tell.

Like Grace. Dick really could have done without Grace knowing they were both Roy's go-to fuck buddies when he was single.

"Dick, I'm not asking you to spill all sorts of intimate details and break whatever gay code you have, okay? I just want to know if my son is in a relationship or not, and I don't think that's too much to ask."

"People come out when they're ready, at their own discretion, and they share what they're comfortable sharing with their parents." Which was why Bruce found out everything he had about Dick's relationships through detective work and carefully placed tracking devices.

"Oh, but if it was Irey you'd tell me if she was dating Damian just because it'd be a hetero relationship? How is that fair?"

Dick scowled and swiveled in his seat so that he too was facing the bar and not Wally. The guy really had no idea how sensitive a topic this could be for people. "If it was Irey I'd still say you should talk to your daughter instead of me. If you're having communication issues with your kids then that's your own problem and I don't want to be dragged into it."

Wally held up his hands. "That's fair, I guess. Hey, don't look all pissy like that. I'm not trying to…urgh, I'm just getting nervous. Jai is…I don't know what he needs from me anymore and I feel like I'm letting him down. It's the worst feeling in the world Dick, knowing your kid needs help and not being able to give it to him."

"I'm really sorry." And he was. Wally had appeared to have a near perfect family ever since he'd married his "lightning rod", but as the teen years progressed, it was clear that there were some cracks in the glue that held the Wests together. "I want to help, but-"

"He won't talk to us anymore. I've tried and so has Linda, but he's shut down. Just…can you just let me know if it's a relationship or not? I mean, if they're fucking around then I can't get too upset considering what I used to do, but…I just want to know if he's hiding hook ups because he's ashamed, or if he's hiding something more meaningful because he doesn't trust us."

Dick frowned, and finally nodded. "Well I don't know if it's a trust issue or not, but he is dating Damian. It's been a little over a month. Actually, I think they're getting close to two months now." He rubbed absently at the scar on his thigh as he spoke, and felt like a bastard for the betrayal. But he tried to smile reassuringly for Wally's benefit. It struck him as a horrible sign that Jai was being secretive to his parents to this level, especially since Damian was pulling away from him (and he couldn't see his moody Robin going to anyone else over this).

He really hoped the kids were okay.

Wally let out a slow breath and finally looked up from where his hand was clenched around his beer. "Okay well that's…that's…I'm not really sure what that is, but hey, at least it's not just hook ups. So, uh…sorry. How is your kid anyway? You two have any exciting patrols or anything?"

Dick scowled. "He's not actually my kid."

"You know what I mean."

He considered telling Wally the truth, that he and Damian weren't actually speaking at the moment. However, he didn't want to explain the circumstances that had led to that (especially considering what he'd just leaked to the man). He made a noncommittal noise, and was saved the necessity of further comment by Wally getting distracted and waving across the bar to the restaurant's entrance. Dick turned around to see who he was waving at and threw in his own little wave.

It was Wally's other best friend, the Pied Piper. Dick wracked his brains for the man's real name, but couldn't remember it. At least he answered to Piper if you called him that. Even though they were both really close to Wally (Piper was Irey's godfather while Dick was Jai's) they rarely bumped into each other. Still, every time Dick had spoken with Piper was memorably pleasant. They got along really well, with a certain amount of chemistry that had always made Dick wonder…

Piper walked through the restaurant and approached them at the bar. Dick hadn't seen him since Wally had recruited him to help Dick set up his electronics after he'd moved, and it had been years since he'd seen him before that. He looked good; he was wearing jeans and a dress shirt, and he was wearing his shoulder length hair down for once.

From what Dick had heard, Piper had gone through a rough patch around the same time Roy's life had fallen apart (it involved getting accused of murder falsely three times in two years; Dick figured being a reformed criminal made you a tempting target). Stress had clearly taken its toll on the poor guy; he was permanently underweight, which made his haunted blue eyes more prominent in his wasted face, and there was a fair amount of silver in his red-gold hair.

He still looked good though.

"Hey dude," Wally greeted, pulling out a stool for his friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Meeting James, but I'm a little early." Piper nodded in greeting towards Dick.

"James?" Wally asked. "Not the architect again?"

Piper smirked and nodded. "We're taking it slowly, just getting to know each other again after all these years. I'll try not to scare him off by asking for a commitment ceremony prematurely this time."

Dick choked on the sip of beer he'd just gulped and Wally patted his back. "You okay Dick?"

"Yeah, fine," he rasped. Oh what the hell, he might as well just come out with it. "How come you never told me Piper was gay?" That was information he definitely would have liked any of the myriad times he'd had his heart trampled on (generally by Babs) and could have used a date with a nice guy. Piper had always seemed like a really nice guy.

He seemed to have gotten the wrong idea about Dick's exclamation though. His eyes iced over as his posture became defensive. "Is that a problem?"

Wally looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"No, no," Dick assured him. "Wally's the problem. I'm bi. He should have let me know you were gay when I was still single." He turned his attention to Wally. "Dude, I even told you I was looking for a date last year at the League Christmas party."

Piper came very near a spit take himself. "You're bi? Wally, what the hell? I thought we were friends."

Wally slouched down a bit. "Look, it's not that big a deal. I mean, just because you like red heads and you like brunettes, it doesn't necessarily mean you'd click."

Dick and Piper gaped at their mutual friend in stunned silence. Dick finally shook his head in disbelief while Piper frowned.

"Did I somehow offend you at some point? Because if I did, I'm really very sorry for it."

"It's just weird when your friends date, okay? That's the only reason I never told you guys you were, well, kinda well suited for each other. Besides, it doesn't matter. You're both rekindling things with your exes now anyway."

Dick looked Piper over again, liking the little flush on his cheekbones from the scrutiny. "Y'know Piper, me and my boyfriend are both musicians too." Which was a bit of an exaggeration on Dick's part (he played guitar, just not particularly well), but Roy was a total music nut. "We should hang out sometime and jam."

"That'd be lovely."

"Mm. And if it doesn't work out with this James guy, we should have a three way."

"La-la-la-la!" Wally clamped his hands over his ears and jumped off the barstool. Piper turned red, but he laughed along with Dick.

The thing was, Dick wasn't joking.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Irey, can you go upstairs and get your brother? Dinner's ready!" Linda called into the living room.

"Sure Mom!" There was a whooshing noise, and Linda scowled. She really hated it when Wally and Irey used their speed when they didn't have to, especially in the house. Wally wasn't really that bad, but Irey was a klutz and they'd save a lot of money in broken furniture if she'd just walk between rooms.

Irey raced into the kitchen, startling Linda into dropping her casserole dish. Irey quickly grabbed some spare potholders from under the sink and caught it just before it would have broken on the tiled floor. "Ta-da! Uh…sorry Mom. I won't run in the house."

"Wanna try and keep that promise for more than an hour this time honey?" Linda rolled her eyes, but took the casserole dish back and walked to the table without further comment. "So where's your brother?"

"Uh…"

"Oh for the love of…he's gone again, isn't he?"

Irey chewed her lip and looked away. "Yep."

"You don't have any thoughts about how he's getting out without any of us noticing, do you?"

Irey shrugged. "Beats me. Do you want me to take a run around and look for him?"

Linda was considering it. Ultimately, she decided against it. "No, that's okay. I'll be right back, I left my phone in the living room. Can you call your dad and let him know that dinner's ready? He went out to get a drink with Dick and I want to catch him before he gets talked into a team up."

"Okay."

Linda retrieved her cellphone and tried calling her son. She was disappointed but not surprised when the call went straight to voicemail. She texted Piper and asked him to let her know if he heard anything from Jai, then went into the kitchen to try to enjoy a meal with the two members of her family that respected her enough to communicate with her.

And instead she got a text from Irey letting her know that the speedsters were taking off for a Rogues battle.

Piper ended up eating supper with her, which was nice in its own way so she did her best to reign in her irritation. They sat out on the porch together with her laptop and watched updates on the battle at the Flash Museum.

"Did you see that Hartley? That little beast in the ugly green jump suit just winked at my daughter! I hope Wally punches him in the face."

Piper laughed. "That one's Mark Mardon's son. So he's a flirt? Color me unsurprised."

"Urgh…I'm having a hard enough time with Jai right now. Irey is not allowed to start an illicit teenage romance with an up and coming super villain."

"She just hit him at least a dozen times at superspeed, if it makes you feel better."

"It does, actually. That's my girl. So how have you been lately? I heard you started seeing James again."

"I was supposed to meet him at the restaurant tonight, but the Rogues caused street closings and traffic. He's stuck in Central for at least another hour from the looks of it, so I've got some time to kill."

"Oh." Linda pursed her lips, and Piper regarded her with a defensive expression. She hadn't meant to show that much skepticism. "I'm sorry Hartley, I just think it's a really bad idea to start seeing this guy again. You know I loved James back when you were together and he was making you happy, but then he dumped you out of the blue and he hurt you so much. Are you sure you want to give him another chance?"

"It was ten years ago."

"And has he changed a lot in ten years?"

"I won't find out unless I give him another chance, now will I?" he snapped huffily. Linda scowled at him.

"I just think it's a bad idea."

Piper rolled his eyes. They sat in silence for a moment, attention returning to the laptop screen to watch more of the mayhem. Piper snorted and did a poor job trying not to laugh when Axel blew the head off of the big memorial statue of Barry that they'd never taken down from the front of the museum, even after his resurrection.

Linda leaned over and poked him in the ribs. "You know, Barry's probably going to come by with Wally and Irey for a post-battle celebration."

"Except for how he's never done it before as he's been a bit of a shut-in since his untimely death and resurrection?" Piper returned without missing a beat. Piper generally got along with the speedsters, despite the fact that he'd spent the early years of his costumed career on the wrong side. However, Barry was the only speedster that had ever beaten him and hauled him to jail. Barry had humiliated him, and Piper had done his best to return the favor.

They didn't get along, and as they shared an awful lot of important people in common, their solution was to avoid each other.

"Well there's a first time for everything. Oh look, he just gave Axel a wedgie over the neck stump of his vandalized statue. I think Uncle Barry's in a good mood today."

"Right, well I think I'll be on my way. James might be calling soon."

Linda smirked while Piper quickly jumped to his feet. "Take care Hartley."

"You too Linda. Oh, one thing before I go?"

"Yes?" she asked, looking up from the laptop.

"…can you tell me anything about Wally's friend Dick?"

Linda quirked an eyebrow, reporter instincts kicking into overdrive. "Why?"

"Uh…no reason. Forget I said anything. I'll give you a call if I hear from Jai. Bye Linda."

"Bye Hartley."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Jai wasn't heading out to dinner like he expected.

He'd been procrastinating doing his homework when he'd gotten a text from Damian asking him if he wanted to meet up. That usually meant going out for dinner, stumbling through an awkward conversation where Damian tried his best to "act like a real boy" and they unintentionally offended each other, having another conversation in the car where they apologized and had a genuine emotional exchange, making out in a parking lot somewhere, and then ultimately getting a room in a posh hotel (it was good to be dating a billionaire) and having sex that gradually increased in quality every time.

The relationship was by no means perfect (if it didn't get better soon, there was no way in hell Jai would be able to convince Damian not to dump him for Lian when she was old enough), but it was the best thing Jai had at the moment. He lived for those short, impersonal little texts and the passionate encounters that followed them.

Jai was a little surprised when Damian drove them to a park by the river. Damian turned off the engine but remained in his seat, and Jai eyed him curiously. "What's going on?"

"We need to talk."

"Okay…uh, I'm not psychic Damian. What do you want to talk about?"

Damian remained facing front, posture rigid. After a moment he slouched into a more normal sitting position, but his eyes were downcast. "Jai…are you happy with me? Is our arrangement…are you satisfied with things as they are?"

He didn't like the sound of that. "I guess. I mean, mostly, yeah. I'm having a lot of fun with you Damian. I really like you. You like me too, don't you?"

He took way too long to answer that. "Yes. I do like you Jai. But something about this relationship feels a bit off to me. I was wondering if you felt that way as well. It's just me?"

"M-maybe. I know we're a couple months in now, so we can't blame it on, like, new relationship jitters and inexperience, but…but I think things are always going to be a little weird just because we're weird people, you know?"

Damian sighed, and something about his expression looked defeated. Jai distinctly didn't like that expression, and he reached for Damian, hoping he could do what he'd been doing so far and reassure the other boy with kisses and caresses. Their verbal communication left a lot to be desired, but their physical intimacy was coming along nicely.

Damian flinched away from him though, and went so far as to grab his wrists. "Not right now. I told you, we need to talk."

"Y'wanna loosen your grip a little there? O-o-ow!"

Damian instantly dropped Jai's hands as though he'd been the one crushed in a bruising grip. Jai held his wrists up to his eyes and let out an indignant snort when he saw his already-bruising skin. "Friggin' peachy. At least I've got some bracelets that'll hide this from my mom. You really gotta watch it Damian. Your hands are fucking weapons. You wanna remember that?"

"Like I could forget."

"Sorry." He really wasn't. "Look, if you wanna dump me then just fucking dump me." If Damian dumped him then he was going to climb to the top of the Keystone/Central bridge and jump off of it. "But do me a favor and get it over with. You don't have to slap me around first."

"I'm not…" Damian stopped himself and took a labored sounding breath before continuing. "I just wish to speak. To communicate. We seem to have some difficulty with that. I don't wish to cease seeing you Jai, but I want to make sure that this discomfort I feel is only the result of my own…my own emotional inadequacy. If that's the case then it's something I need to overcome. You're…you're satisfied with me?"

"Are you kidding? Damian, I'm the luckiest guy in the world to get to date you. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I know what we're doing isn't, like, perfect, but it's the best thing in my life. I'm so happy you're my boyfriend, and I swear on my life I'm telling the truth."

Damian did his little insecure-almost smile thing, and Jai wanted to lean in for a kiss but he was concerned about provoking another bruising restraint.

It was safer to ask first.

"So it feels like we're having a moment. Can I kiss you now?"

Damian's smile grew to the level of a real, recognizable one. He cupped Jai's face with his hand and initiated it himself.

Jai was so not giving this boy up without a fight.

"You know Damian, you kinda drove us to one of the popular makeout spots."

"I did?" Damian regarded him with some surprise. "But this is a children's park. It should be frequented by children. Given the hour though, children aren't likely to be out of their homes and thus it shouldn't be populated by anyone-"

"Yeah, Einstein, that's why it's a makeout spot."

"Oh. You know, now that you mention it I do see the logic."

"Mm hm. You know what else I was gonna point out? We haven't done it in a car yet…" Jai smiled seductively.

"That is true…"


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy has an uncomfortable discussion with his daughter. Damian and Jai's relationship spectacularly ends, leaving Dick and Piper to help their respective teen pick up the pieces.

Chapter Eighteen

"Urgh…" Dick groped blindly for the ringing phone that had woken him up. Never mind that it was almost one o'clock in the afternoon, which was a decent time to expect even a costumed vigilante to be awake, let alone one of the ones notorious for ignoring bodily needs like sleep and proper nutrition. He still irrationally hated whoever it was that had disturbed his sleep, and so upon getting his fingers around the contraption he threw it across the room.

He hadn't turned it off though, so it kept ringing.

After a few minutes he was feeling less groggy, and it occurred to him that he should probably see who called. After so many weeks of unbearably tense silence, he sincerely doubted it was Damian, but he still hoped the kid would call and reach out to him. Years of experience had taught him that Damian would need to be the one to break the ice; every time they'd had a rift Dick had been unable to repair it without the kid reaching out to him first.

And of course his missed call was from Wally. He didn't have a new voicemail, so it probably wasn't anything pressing. Instead of calling back, Dick got back into bed and dozed for a little while longer.

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Irey hovered uncertainly outside her brother's door, wondering if it was worth knocking. He wasn't home very much anymore, to the point where she couldn't honestly remember the last time she'd spoken to him. She missed her "little" brother (by two and a half minutes), and frankly she was starting to get worried. Everyone was, even Uncle Piper, and he was the only person Jai talked to about important stuff anymore.

Finally Jai opened the bedroom door, wearing an expression between amusement and annoyance. "You're making a racket with your speed-pacing. You wanna just come in?"

"Yeah, sorry." Irey followed him into the room, and he shut and locked the door behind her.

Normally Jai's room, though stuffed to bursting with the media he collected (CDs, books, classic movies) was neatly and immaculately organized. Irey had never seen it in such disarray; the floor was covered with discarded clothing, the stubs of eyeliner pencils, books thrown about (none of them school related, Irey couldn't help but notice), and there was a worrying amount of fast food containers on the floor. For a normal kid, the state of the room would suggest that they weren't leaving it very much at all, and Wally and Linda certainly seemed to believe their angsty son was hiding from the world in his personal sanctuary. But Irey knew her twin, and she knew he was too meticulous to surround himself with garbage (especially greasy fast food). He probably hadn't slept at home all week.

Jai plopped into his desk chair and turned back to his computer. He was wearing clingy vinyl pants that she couldn't imagine their mom letting him buy (they didn't have part time jobs or even an allowance, so how he had obtained clingy-slut wear was a continuing mystery), a wispy black t-shirt, and knee boots with an impressive heel. He looked like he was going out clubbing, and it was seven thirty on a Wednesday.

"So what is it?" Jai asked.

"I was…I was just hoping we could talk. I haven't seen you much lately bro. I miss you."

"Uh huh. I've been busy. Plus so have you. You and Dad have been out like all the frickin' time lately."

"No we haven't!" Irey insisted. In addition to their typical evening patrols, they'd had three brushes with the Rogues and one off-planet mission that month, which was light duty. "You just haven't been around to see us. I'm not here to dig up info on you so I can narc to Mom and Dad. I'm just getting worried Jai. I want you to tell me that you're okay."

He didn't look up from his computer screen. "Of course I'm okay." His distracted statement wasn't terribly convincing.

Irey pressed on. "You just…you don't seem very happy lately, and you used to talk to me more. And I could kinda use my brother now too, so…can you not pull away so much?"

Jai finally turned away from his desk and faced her. "What's wrong? Are you worried about flunking your classes?" That would be fresh on Jai's mind, considering the fight Linda and Wally had finally had with the kids about their progress reports.

Irey nodded. "Yeah. School got really hard this year, and I'm having a really hard time keeping up. Plus now my friends are going to parties and stuff, and I have to skip out on everything so I can be free for my Impulse work. My good friends are getting suspicious, and I've lost most of my not-so-good friends because they think I'm blowing them off. It sucks."

Jai frowned. "I don't know how much help I can be with your friends, but I can help you out with your homework and stuff. What are you behind in?"

"Everything."

Jai snorted, seemingly unsurprised by the statment. "We used to do our homework together when we were little. Wanna go back to that? I've been falling behind a bit too, so if I help you with yours maybe I won't keep forgetting about mine."

Irey beamed at him. "That'd be great!"

"Great. So…is that it?" He really did look concerned about her, and Irey was surprised at how emotional a response she was having to seeing a genuine expression on Jai's typically hardened face. He'd grown so sarcastic and bitter that she found the sight of him invested in their conversation both alien and achingly reminiscent of their childhood.

Irey had one more pretty pressing problem on her plate, but she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to talk about it. Then again, she and Jai used to share information with each other. If she told him what was going on with her, he might tell her what was going on with him.

"Actually, um…there's this boy that I'm…I'm kinda seeing. I, uh, didn't tell Mom and Dad."

Jai smirked at her. "Me too. But I think they've figured out I've got a boyfriend. No one's got any idea about you. How come you're not telling Mom and Dad?"

Irey sat down on his bed and rested her hands on her knees. "I dunno…I don't think they'd approve. Plus he's not my boyfriend. He doesn't even know my name. But Impulse has been on two dates with him."

Jai laughed. "Oh man Irey…you sure that's the route you wanna take? Letting someone date the costumed you?"

"It's obviously not the best way to do it, but I met him as Impulse and I don't see how Irey West is going to get to know him. He's…one of the Rogues."

"So that's why you've been all gung ho about patrolling with Dad. Oh wow…Downpour, really? But that kid's a moron," Jai said with a sneer. He wheeled around in his chair so that he was facing her, arms crossed over his chest, clearly unhappy about the prospect of a third-rate Rogue dating his sister.

"No he's not! He's really sweet, and he's barely even a villain. I bet when he's older he'll reform, just like Uncle Piper. Then he'll start fighting crime with us and we'll get married and…oh shut up. You don't have to be mean."

He hadn't said anything, but with that mocking expression he really didn't need to. "You do realize how stupid that sounded though, right?"

Irey rolled her eyes. "So who are you dating that you don't want Mom and Dad to know about?"

"Promise to keep the secret?" Jai asked. Irey rolled her eyes, but dutifully nodded. "Damian."

Irey gaped at him. She was hard pressed to think of a name less likely to come out of Jai's mouth. Even Uncle Piper sounded more likely than Robin. They'd known the kid for years, but he'd barely ever interacted with Jai, since Jai wasn't a costume. Impulse had been reaching out to Robin for ages, but she'd never gotten very far. The kid just didn't seem to value a social life. Plus…

"I thought he liked Lian. Oh no, she's got a huge crush on him!"

Jai's narrowed eyes iced over. "Excuse me, but you should actually back your brother on this one. I like Damian way more than she does. She barely even knows him, but I've been dating him for two months. Plus you're supposed to pick my side. We're twins."

"Sorry, sorry. So Damian's gay?" Irey asked, feeling terribly confused and conflicted. She and Lian had talked out their fantasy weddings recently. She knew how into Damian her bestie was, and she'd been happy and supportive of the crush. And Irey really couldn't imagine an angry brooding teen like Damian being a good match for her angry brooding teenage brother. She thought they both needed partners that would balance them better.

"Damian says he's bi, but I think he's pretty gay. Anyway, he certainly likes gay sex enough."

Irey's eyes widened. "You guys are already having sex? But you've only been dating for two months!"

"So? That's kind of awhile to hold out. I mean, since I'm not dating a supervillain. You should hold out. Forever," Jai said threateningly. Irey snorted at him.

"That's different! I mean, I was just thinking that, like, you know…for your first time you should date the guy more than two months so that…so that it means something. You know?" Irey was losing his attention with her rambling. Jai turned back to the computer screen and went back to his IM chat.

"I've gotta get going soon. I'm meeting up with Damian in a little while. So we're going to do our homework together from now on. Is there anything else?"

"I…I guess not. Jai, um…just be careful, okay? I like Robin a lot but he's pretty intense. Don't let him, y'know, pressure you into anything you're not ready to do."

Jai looked over his shoulder as Irey went to leave his room. "Yeah, that goes for you and Downpour too."

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Dick had gone out on patrol and gotten home again before he remembered the missed call from Wally. He was just getting out of the shower, wearing a towel and limping a little on his way to the bedroom, when there was a knock on the door. With a sigh, Dick changed courses and limped over to his front door. "Yes?"

"Dude, you never called back."

Dick hiked the towel up a little, then stepped aside to let Wally in. "Dude, you didn't leave a message. What's so important?"

"Uh…you can put clothes on first. It's not that important."

Rolling his eyes, Dick went to his room to throw on his pajamas, then went back out into the living room where Wally was speed-pacing, kicking up the occasional spark of speedforce and sending Dick's papers into utter disarray.

"So what's so not-important?" Dick asked.

"I want you to tell Damian to treat my kid better or find a new boyfriend."

Dick couldn't muster the energy for the glare he really wanted to send Wally, so he fixed him a look of cold indifference. "Go fuck yourself."

"Oh come on! It's not an unreasonable request, is it? I'm asking you to do it because you're the only person who can get through to that little monster!"

"Wally-"

"Okay, okay, I guess he's not little, but-"

"If I thought I could land the hit I'd have punched you in the face by now. Will you cut it out? Damian is not a monster! And what makes you think you can convince me to tell him to break up with Jai? Does that even sound like something I'd do?" Dick demanded.

Wally flopped onto the couch, scowling. "Well no, I guess not. But the kids aren't happy together and I'm getting worried. I was talking to Bruce the other day, and he thinks that Damian wants to break up with Jai anyway. I think it'd be better for both of them if he just made up his mind instead of keeping this going with all that false hope. I know my son's not perfect, but he doesn't deserve to be jerked around."

Dick could relate to that. He'd certainly gotten enough false hope from people he cared about over the years, and he knew the pain of a relationship going toxic without either person having the strength to break it off intimately well. "I'll talk to Damian. But I refuse to let you treat him like the bad guy in this."

"So what, are you saying Jai's the one hurting him? Damian's like ice. This shit rolls right off his back. Jai is nothing but feelings," Wally pointed out.

"Damian comes across as cold, but that doesn't mean he doesn't feel things."

Wally rolled his eyes at that. "Even his dad thinks he's wrong. He apologized to me on Jai's behalf."

"Yeah, well I don't know if Bruce is the best judge in this one Wally."

"I know he's not great at talking to his kid, but he's damn good at spying on him. The intel he gathered supports everything I've seen."

"Which is?" Dick pressed. He was a little curious himself, and sadly reflected that Damian couldn't have picked much worse a time to shut him out.

Wally sighed. "It looks like the kids rushed into sex before they were ready, and now it's straining the relationship. Dick…I saw Jai crying the other night. I haven't seen him cry since he was eight and I don't ever want to see it again. I'm sorry I've been hard on Damian, but it just doesn't seem to be affecting him the same way. My kid's in pain and I want to help him."

"I do too. But Wally...I'm actually on the outs with Damian," Dick admitted. Wally looked distinctly uncomfortable with the admission. "I haven't been working as hard as I should to fix it. He usually comes to me, but I guess he's too distracted. I'll invite him to patrol with me tomorrow night and ask him what's up."

"Alright, that's a start. Thanks dude." Wally nodded at Dick, looking grateful and, Dick couldn't help but notice, tired. He hadn't seen shadows like that under Wally's eyes in years. Unless something else was going on too, parenting was taking a lot out of him. "See you later."

"Bye."

Wally took off, and Dick spent a good long while lost in thought before he managed to fall asleep.

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Dick spent the next night in Gotham, and even though he and Bruce had tag-teamed Damian and all-but forced him to agree to go patrolling with Dick, as the hour got later and later he started to think he was going to be heading out alone after all.

Finally, a very surly (even for him) Robin stalked up to join him at the batmobile. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Dick tried not to be hurt by that. He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and forcefully reminded himself of how he'd behaved when he was seventeen. When he opened his eyes he was more composed. "Sorry you feel that way Damian. I've been looking forward to this all day, actually. I missed you."

Damian jumped into the passenger side without comment. Sighing, Dick got into the driver's side and started the car. "So where do you want to go?"

"I'm sure there's no shortage of crimes for us to foil. You'd do just as well to drive aimlessly as to have a destination."

"True enough. So...how's it going with you and Jai?"

"Subtle Grayson."

"If I try to be subtle then you just ignore me," Dick pointed out. "Seriously though, are you okay? The adults are getting worried for you two."

Damian turned away from Dick, facing out the window. "I sincerely doubt that anyone's worried for me."

"Well I am."

"You don't need to bother. I can handle myself. I'm doing fine."

Dick tried his best, but he couldn't get much more out of Damian, even after a few fights loosened him up and got him in a better mood. Dick would have liked to switch tactics and try talking about his own relationship, but reciprocal conversation had never worked well with Damian as a strategy (though it worked wonders on Tim), and in addition, given the other elephant in the room Dick dismissed it as a horrendous idea.

They were going to have to talk about it eventually though. The tension between them was alien and ugly and Dick desperately wanted it gone. Again, he felt a pang of sympathy for what Bruce had gone through looking after him during his own teen years. Having a crush on your mentor royally sucked, but having the kid you were mentoring crush on you sucked even more.

They were patching up some minor cuts in the Cave at the end of the night when Dick tried one more desperate attempt to reach out to Damian. "Hey...I heard that you were thinking of breaking up with him. If you do...well, I'm here if you need to talk about it, okay?"

Damian didn't say anything, but he gave a slight nod before he left for the manor.

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"Hey Daddy...can I talk to you about something?"

"What's up Peanut?" Roy asked. He was in the middle of a workout, but had just gotten to doing pushups, something he'd never really enjoyed with two arms but now openly loathed with the one. He didn't mind the excuse to procrastinate the pushups, though he'd still have to actually do them. His aim was thrown entirely if his organic arm wasn't at least close in strength to his metal arm.

Roy sat up and wiped some sweat off his brow with the good arm. Lian sat down on the couch with her hands on her knees, tapping her fingers anxiously. He quirked an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's…wrong, exactly…I just hafta ask you a really weird question."

That was a terrible opening. Roy stood up, stretched his back, and then regarded her expectantly. "Just spit it out then. I'm listening. What's not-wrong?"

She started to speak a couple times, then looked away from him and forced it out. "Irey and Jai said that you're, like, the cautionary tale for superhero kids. They said that their dad tells them stories about you so they know what not to do as kids. Like that they need to always use protection because that's how I happened, and that…they said you were a drug addict. That's not true, is it Daddy?"

Roy closed his eyes and hissed in a pained breath. He paced back and forth, and a tense silence stretched between them.

"Dad…Dad, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anythi-"

"No, no-no-no, sweetie, I'm not upset with you," Roy said quickly. He crossed the room and crouched down in front of her. "Believe me Peanut, I am glad that you told me you heard all that…this just isn't how I wanted to start this conversation."

"So it's true?" Lian asked.

"It doesn't sound like Wally gave the twins a very fair version of the story, but…there is some truth there." Roy sat down next to her on the couch and put his head in his hand.

"So…I was a mistake," Lian said quietly. She didn't dare look at her dad for his response to that uncomfortable statement, but if she had she would have noticed his fingers clench painfully in his bangs.

Again, it took him a moment to answer.

"You were not a mistake," he started in a slow, careful tone. He sat up, and with great effort turned to look her in the eye. "You are without a doubt the best thing that's ever happened to me, and the proudest achievement of my life. I mean that Lian, and I hope you don't ever feel unwanted."

"I-I know, and I don't, it's just…just…well, considering Mom…" Lian started nervously rubbing her hands together. "I kind of had to wonder how much of an accident I was. Was Mom just a one night stand, or…or was she…"

"She meant something to me," Roy said. "I sometimes wonder if the feeling was actually mutual, but at the time it seemed that way. I was really young, and scared, and in a bad place, but I don't regret any of it. And Lian…we actually did use a condom."

"Really? But I'm here."

Roy nodded. "Yeah, I noticed. Those things aren't one hundred percent you know. Linda was on birth control when she conceived the twins. Bet Wally didn't tell them that."

"Nope." Lian still didn't look like she fully believed him, but she let it drop.

They had plenty of painful issues to discuss, after all.

"So what about the other part? Dad, were you really a drug addict?" She looked at him with such hopeful, innocent eyes. He really didn't want to be having this conversation, but he'd promised himself a long time ago that he'd never lie to Lian about this. If he did, how would she ever believe him when he told her about the parts that mattered?

Slowly Roy nodded, then looked down at the floor. He didn't want to see whatever her emotive gaze had to tell him. He could imagine it clearly enough anyway; shock, hurt…disappointment.

"Yeah, I-I was. Well, still kinda am. You never really stop struggling with it once it's got you. But I've been clean for years. For a good long time though, I was using."

"W-what…why?"

"I…I was really unhappy," Roy started. He hadn't been planning on having this conversation with Lian for at least another year, and he only had the barest idea of what he wanted to tell her. He tried again to compose his thoughts. "I know that Grandpa Ollie is great with you, but he-he's changed a lot since those days, and he really wasn't much of a guardian for me when I was a teenager, and I was a pain so I needed a really strong guardian."

"Well yeah, I can kinda see that. I love Grandpa Ollie to death, but sometimes he's really hypocritical and way too permissive. I could see how that wouldn't end well," Lian said simply, showing a level of adult analysis that Roy hadn't expected.

Sometimes he was as surprised as everyone else that she was his daughter. It didn't seem like the same genetic material that produced a fuck up like him should make a girl like Lian.

"Anyway, it makes him a great grandpa, but I'm betting you needed more structure and support when you were my age," Lian prodded.

"Er, right. Yeah, so anyway I started getting depressed, and when I was depressed I blew off school and got really angry and argumentative. And his response was to get angrier and make me feel more isolated…and it just kinda kept snowballing. We were at each other's throats, and then he took off and I just felt so…so hollow, and not hollow. It was the worst feeling I've ever felt, and I just can't really describe it but it was bad. And I had some friends who all came from broken homes too, and they used drugs to escape. I knew the stuff was dangerous, but I honestly didn't think anyone would care about me if I got hurt, so I started using."

"What did you use?" Lian asked in a quavering voice, as though she didn't really want the answer.

Which was fitting, because he didn't want to tell her. "Heroin. I, I used heroin."

"Oh Daddy…"

Roy dropped his head again and closed his eyes. His voice broke on his next sentence. "It was a terrible, stupid thing to do. I was just hurting so much, and making it stop for just a little while was…was…Lian, if you ever feel anything like that, you need to tell me. I do not want you to make the same mistakes I did, okay? You have a family, and I love you so much, so don't ever feel like-like me. Okay Peanut, please?" He only realized he was crying when he noticed she was too. Lian gripped his hand in both of her small ones and nodded.

"I promise Dad. I won't ever do anything like that, I promise. Please don't cry."

He pulled her into a hug and she buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm sorry Li."

"I love you too you know," she whispered. "Just so we're clear. So you don't ever need to feel that bad again. Because if something did happen to you, I'd care. I'd care a lot if you were hurt."

"I know Peanut. Like I said, you're the best thing that ever happened to me. You completely changed my life, and I am so thankful for that."

Lian pulled back and wiped at her eyes. She let out a nervous laugh, then scooched back to her own couch cushion. "Wow, we just got really dramatic, huh?"

"Hard subject," Roy muttered. He wiped at his own face. His hand was still shaking.

He'd been having nightmares about Lian becoming a junkie since before she could walk. He wanted so much more for his daughter than what he'd had.

Lian leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You're a good dad. At least, I think so, and I'm the important one here, okay?"

Roy finally hesitantly smiled, and watched with relief as Lian beamed at him. "I think we deserve a treat tonight after all that. Want to order a pizza and marathon some cartoons with me?"

"Sure! I'd better go upstairs and get my homework done now though, or else I won't have time to." She gave him another kiss and then ran upstairs. "Love you Daddy!" she called before leaving the room.

"Love you too Peanut!" he called after her, shaking his head. "Deep breaths Harper, you don't have anything to worry about. She is nothing like you, and she's going to be fine."

He went upstairs and grabbed a quick shower, decided to skip the rest of the pushups, then went downstairs and ordered the pizza. He poked his head into Lian's room and found her at her desk with her Algebra book propped open, doing practice problems with a systematic ease he would have killed for at her age.

"I'm heading out to pick up the food. What do you want to drink?"

"Iced tea?" she asked without looking up.

"Sure thing. Be back in a bit."

Roy did head out the door with the intention of getting the pizza and heading right back home, but once he was down the street he couldn't stop himself from taking a quick detour to the West home. He knocked on the side door and waited patiently.

Wally opened the door, looking a bit surprised to see him. "Hey dude, what's-"

He was cut off by Roy punching him in the face.

Wally staggered backwards from the force of the unexpected blow, then brought a hand to his mouth to feel his bloodied lip. He scowled at Roy, and then aimed a punch that was fueled by indignation and (thankfully) not superspeed.

From there the two men devolved into a fighting style more at home in a backyard brawl or a bar fight than any kind of costumed situation, yelling curses at each other and fighting as dirty as possible.

They only broke apart when an air horn went off between them. Even then, Roy was about to dive at Wally again, but Linda blew the air horn right in his face. He covered one of his ears with his hand, Wally shielding both, and they retreated to separate corners. Linda waved a broom between the two of them, poised with her other hand on the air horn, ready to blow it again if need be.

If Roy had thought Wally was mad at him, it was nothing compared to the look on his wife's face. "Jai! Irey! Upstairs, now!"

Roy felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. At first he'd thought Linda had been yelling at him, and with a yell like that…

"But Mo-om!"

"Did that sound like it was up for negotiation to you mister? I repeat, upstairs, now, and do not make me repeat myself again!"

"C'mon Jai, we'll probably be able to hear it from up there anyway," Irey hissed. She grabbed her brother's arm, and a moment later the doorway was free of gaping teens.

Linda pulled a chair out from the kitchen table, plopped it between the two bruised and bleeding men and sat down, glaring them down imperiously. Roy thought it best to remain in a cowering position, and Wally seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

Linda turned her glare on him first. "Alright Roy. Care to explain why you walked into my kitchen and assaulted my husband?"

"Lian just asked me if all the shit she's heard from Irey and Jai about me is true. She said that Wally tells them stories about my teen years as cautionary tales," Roy spat out.

Wally had the decency to look uncomfortable. "It's not like they're not true," he said defensively.

"I did use a condom with Jade, though I noticed you didn't mention thing one about your kids being pill babies!"

"Hey, I was married at the time, okay?"

"Oh shut the hell up Wally! You're not some kind of saint just because you're living the middle class wet dream, so don't get all holier than thou on me!"

Linda blew the air horn again and they both shut up.

She turned towards Wally. "So you've been having serious parenting discussions with the kids without me?"

"I-"

"Parenting discussions that, in the process, make Roy look like less of an authority figure to our kids? To our kids who are best friends with his daughter, who therefore spend a lot of time in his home where they have to listen to his rules and therefore respect him as an authority figure to be safe? They're teenagers Wally! What kind of idiot are you?"

"Nothing I said was bad, okay! Just-just that they should stay away from drugs and not have lots of sex!" He turned to look at Roy. "And maybe I was wrong about the condom, but I wasn't wrong about any of the rest of it!"

"That does not make what you did okay!" Roy exploded. "Do you know what I just went through with Lian? That's not how she should have heard those things! I know I fucked up when I was a kid, and I know I fucked up bad. And you, and your uncle, and Ollie and fucking everyone won't ever let me forget it!"

"Apologize Wally," Linda all but growled.

"But I…he was a drug addict! I didn't lie to Irey and Jai!"

Linda stood up, walked over to her husband, and put her hands on her hips. "For starters, the next time you feel the need to have a serious conversation like that with our children, you are going to discuss it with me first. We should both definitely be a part of that. Secondly, there is nothing okay about throwing your friend under the bus like that. And Roy's right, he deserves better than that." She turned to look at him with a much more sympathetic expression. "You're an amazing father. I'm sorry about all this, and I'll do whatever I can to make it right."

"Thanks Lin-"

"However, you're still not allowed to come into my home and assault my husband. Even when he deserves it. Save that behavior for the Watchtower. Are we clear?"

Roy smirked at her. "Sure." He took that as Linda's blessing to wail on Wally again the next time he saw him on the Watchtower.

"Good. And so you know, all four of us will be having a discussion tonight to make sure Irey and Jai get the subtle details my idiot of a husband may have skipped over," she informed him.

Roy nodded. "Well I guess I'll get going then. Linda, sorry for disrespecting your home."

"Just don't do it again and we're absolutely fine," she said, glancing warily between the two men and picking up on the fact that the apology was only directed at her.

Roy threw another withering glare at Wally before he stalked off. "You're an asshole West." He slammed the door shut behind him.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lian was tactful enough not to ask Roy about his split lip and black eye when he returned home with the pizza (plus she and Irey had already texted about their dads brawling in the kitchen, so she had an idea of what had happened), but when Dick came over the next day to watch a movie and unwind before his patrol he was obviously startled.

"Wow, someone got you good. I hope you gave them a shiner to match."

Roy smirked. "I did, but the speedforce took care of it."

"Oh Roy, really? He's your neighbor now and your kids are friends. Isn't that an incentive to start getting along with Wally?"

Roy skulked into the living room and flopped onto the couch. "Just put the movie in. I don't want to friggin' talk about it."

"…what'd he do?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

Dick obediently popped in his DVD and settled down on the couch next to Roy. He'd brought over Blazing Saddles, which they'd both seen enough times to be able to recite and consequently they could have a comfortable conversation or assorted other activities while the movie was on without missing anything. Dick had been hoping for assorted other activities, but a conversation would probably be more productive.

Besides, he'd been kind of hoping to mooch off of Roy for some emotional support of his own, and some of it was about Wally. He'd save that for later though, since Roy was clearly already pissed at Dick's bestie.

"Have you gotten beaten up by anyone else lately?" Dick teased. Roy rolled his eyes. "Well what? It seems like you stopped patrolling, and I haven't caught you hanging out at the Watchtower for ages. I feel like I'm the only person who invites you to do team ups anymore."

"You kinda are. It's okay Dick. I've never been one of the popular heroes, and I don't really care."

Which was utter bullshit, but Dick let it go. He resolved to talk to Donna and Tim and see if, between the three of them, they could pull Red Arrow into more active duty. Superheroics gave Roy a sense of purpose that he didn't do well without, which was one of many reasons Roy moving to Keystone was a bad idea.

Living in Keystone was great for Lian, but it was clearly stressing her father out. The speedsters weren't letting him into their clique, and he was getting bitter and restless about it.

"You still want my help with that human trafficking thing this weekend?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, I could use some back up. Tim's gearing up to defend his thesis so I can't bother him."

"Plus he just got custody of Bruce's latest lost waif, or so I heard."

Dick nodded. "Yeah, X'hawn wasn't very comfortable at the manor. He's really close to Tim, so it should work out. I'm gonna hit up the warehouse where they store the kids on Saturday night. If you need someplace for Lian to go, Alfred says she's always welcome to sleep over the manor."

"She'll probably want to sleep over Irey's instead. So you still not speaking to your little creeper?" Roy guessed. Dick frowned and nodded. "It's been way too long. One of you guys has to fix this."

"I've reached out a couple of times, but you know how he is about his dignity. He's embarrassed and he won't let me in until he gets over it. I don't think there's anything else I can do."

"I know dude, but it's been…what, two months? Two and a half? That's way too long considering you guys used to hang out almost every day."

Dick sighed, and laid against Roy with his head pillowed on his chest. "I'm getting really worried about him. He's been…seeing someone, and he's been on silent to me for pretty much the duration of the relationship at this point."

"Damian's dating?" Roy had wound his arm around Dick and had been caressing him with his fingertips, but stopped abruptly in response to the news. "How? I can't even picture that. Oh wow, I just got a mental image of Damian trying to flirt and it was the most awkward thing…what are his pick up lines like?"

"'You seem like someone eager to engage in sexual exploration.' I'm not kidding Roy, he said almost that to his current partner and the kid thought he was calling him a slut."

"So Damian accepted that he's gay?"

Shit. Dick hadn't meant to let that slip. Then again, he wasn't sure if Damian's sexuality actually was a secret or not. "He's bisexual, and he's dating Jai. I don't think they're out though, so discretion please."

"Kay. Damn. And here I was hoping for a minute that he actually wasn't interested in Lian. There goes that. Okay, so he's got a boyfriend and they started dating around the time Damian creeped on us fucking at your place? That's…that kid really has some issues, huh?"

"Mm," Dick agreed. "Like I said, I'm worried. I was kinda hoping dating someone his own age would help him get over his crush on me, but he's more uncomfortable around me than ever. I don't know how to fix it."

"I'm sure you'll think of something. You're a resourceful kind of guy."

They watched the movie in silence for a little while, then started trading comments about it, and reminisces of other times they'd watched it over the years. Eventually Dick fell silent, lost in thought.

"You okay Dick? You look like you're a million miles away."

Dick nodded. He decided to test the waters a little about the other thing he wanted to talk about. "Yeah…just thinking. Um…I had a weird conversation with Wally the last time I came down to see you. I'm just…I'd kinda thought he'd grown out of being a self-centered asshole."

Roy paused the movie and sat up straighter on the couch, captivated by the new conversation topic. "Oh really? Do tell."

Dick scowled, not liking the response to his test. He'd noticed back when they were teens that Roy and Wally rubbed each other the wrong way. It had started when they'd both been interested in Donna (and she'd picked Roy without ever noticing that Wally had been flirting with her). The two were clearly only friends because they had so many friends in common, and because they'd fought side by side and almost died together, and even if a guy got on your nerves you had to respect them at least a little after that.

However, Wally and Roy were both important to him, and Dick generally didn't let the one talk shit about the other in his presence. But Wally had ticked him off, and even though Roy had been preaching the Wally-West-is-a-self-centered-asshole gospel since Dick had been in fish scale booty shorts, he still didn't want to give the guy fuel for that particular fire.

But he really wanted to talk to his boyfriend about how annoyed he was with his best friend.

"Look, if I'm going to unload about this to you, I want your word that you'll be respectful. Wally's still my closest non-Bat friend."

"Kay. I promise to be mature and supportive."

"Thanks."

"So what'd the selfish prick say?"

Dick groaned, but he'd expected that. "He's being a real asshole about Damian. He started by bleeding me for info on the kids, then he got pissy with me for the don't-rat-gay-kids-to-their-parents thing, he insinuated that all the problems the kids are having are because of Damian, and…well, this last one is going to sound stupid, but you know his friend Piper?"

Suddenly Roy's arm was around him in a possessive embrace. "The red head? Yeah, I remember him. What about him?"

"Uh…did you know he was gay? And that he likes brunettes, apparently?" Somehow Dick could guess that Roy had known.

"Well yeah, I mean, him being gay, not the brunette kink. He's one of those flag-waving activist types. I dunno, I guess when you're just with guys you get more defensive about it or something."

"Oh. Yeah, Wally never told me. And he even said he thought Piper and I were well suited for each other. So he just sat on that, even when I was single. I told him I was lonely a few times, and never once did he go 'oh by the way, my other best friend that I think you'd like, he's single too and really into you,' because he thinks it's awkward when his friends date."

"Well it is. I mean, as someone who's dated two of Wally's friends believe when I say that he makes it really awkward."

Dick smirked. "I know. Sorry about that. You know I never asked him to pick a side."

"Neither did Donna." Roy shrugged. "I don't care that much. I'm not exactly crying myself to sleep at night because Wally West doesn't like me."

Dick laughed and leaned forward for a kiss. "Well I like you a lot, if it helps."

Roy brushed his fingers down Dick's cheek. "That is way more important to me. Not that I'd cry myself to sleep if you changed your mind, but it would suck."

"Ass."

"Yep. So…should I worry about Piper?"

Dick snorted. "Of course Roy. I'm going to end out relationship on a total whim so I can pursue this guy I kinda sorta know just because I found out he's gay. That makes sense."

"Kay. Well, I mean he's pretty cute, y'know, other than the weird nose. It's worth making sure."

Dick turned in Roy's embrace so they were facing each other. "I promise not to leave you for the Pied Piper."

"Good."

"…but you think he's hot too?"

Roy thought about it for a second. "I mean yeah, he's pretty cute. He's not you or anything, but he's nice looking. Why? You think he'd want to do a three way?"

Dick grinned. "I knew there was a reason I liked you so damn much. He's trying to get back together with an ex right now, but I think we should keep him in mind for the future."

"Yeah, that'd be hot."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things wouldn't come to a head between the two angsting teens for a few more nights.

Piper was sleeping peacefully , James curled around him. They'd left the TV on, and the movie was finishing as its audience slumbered, Piper relaxed and content with the familiar heartbeat of someone he loved in his ear. James wasn't as relaxed, but the possessive arm flung around his (maybe) boyfriend was well received.

Then Piper's phone rang. He would have ignored it or turned it off, but the ringtone was Jai's and he never ignored Jai. Frankly, at this point it was fear as much as fondness that made him ever-available.

Piper extracted himself from James and almost fell over as he got out of bed. James sat up on his elbows and yawned. "God, it's almost two in the morning. I thought you said you didn't do costume work anymore."

Piper paused. "I didn't say that. That's not what this is, but James, I'm still a reserve."

James looked like he had something to say about that, but Piper had a more immediate problem to deal with. Jai didn't call him at two in the morning if it wasn't important. He stepped into the hall and answered his cell. "Hey. Is everything alright?"

For a long, tense moment all Piper heard was panicky breathing and atmospheric noise. "C'mon, talk to me. What's wrong?"

The boy let out a sob that hit at Piper's heart, and then he finally choked something out in a broken whisper. "Damian dumped me."

"Oh no. Oh hon, you're going to be okay. Where are you? Talk to me."

"H-he doesn't want me anymore. I wasn't good enough because I'm never good enough and-and Piper what am I going to do now? I'm never going to-I'll never get anyone as good as him again and I ruined it!"

"No, hon, that's not-"

James stuck his head into the hallway. "Who the hell are you talking to? And why are you calling them hon?"

Piper waved his hand angrily and took a few steps further down the hall. He was worried by what he could hear on Jai's end: the occasional passing car, wind, and lapping water.

Piper had been born deaf, but his parents signed him on for excruciating experimental surgery that had not only given him hearing, but amplified it to a superhuman degree. People had a tendency to forget about his robot ears.

"Hon, where are you?"

Jai's voice was so tiny and broken. "I-I went to the, the river because we used to come here. It's pretty cool and I...I..."

"Are you on the bridge?" Piper asked in a careful but commanding tone.

"Oh hell." James went back into the bedroom and came out a moment later with shoes and his keys. Piper nodded and started walking towards the stairs.

"Come on hon, I need you to answer me. Are you on the bridge?" Piper tapped on a picture of Jai that was hanging in the front hall as they passed through it so James would know they were dealing with Wally and Linda's troubled teenage son. James nodded, and urged Piper to walk faster.

"...I...I...you can hear it, can't you?"

"Yeah, Jai, I can hear it. You're not on the bridge for the reason I think you are, are you?" Piper stumbled a bit as he climbed into James' car. His hands were shaking and he was having a terrible time trying to focus on what was around him when so much of his attention was on Jai's small little voice.

"I...I don't know. May-maybe."

"Oh hon no, don't do that. Can you wait for me to get there? I'm on my way. Wait for me and we can talk about this in person, okay?"

He could hear the tears in Jai's voice. "You're coming for me?"

"Yes, of course. Always."

"And you won't hang up until you get here, right Piper?"

"No, I won't hang up."

Piper dug through James' glove box and pulled out a pen and a napkin. He messily scrawled out Wally's number and passed it to James. James dug his phone out of his pocket and dialed one handed as he drove for the Keystone-Central bridge. Piper caught his quiet murmur of, "Wally? Hey, you need to get to the bridge," before his attention returned to Jai.

"So are you going to make me talk about it?"

"I think we need to," Piper answered, hoping he didn't sound confrontational.

"What do you want me to say? That I'm not going to do it? I don't-I'm not going to tonight but, but it'd probably be easier for everyone if I did. I mean, then no one would have to put up with me anymore-"

"Jai, no! We don't put up with you, we love you."

James squeezed Piper's knee and Piper squeezed his hand back so hard he probably hurt him. It did nothing to calm his racing heart.

Jai's voice lost the hard, angry tears and returned to its quiet, trembling state.

"...you love me Piper? You'd really care if I was gone?"

"Of course I'd care. Jai, you're so important to me I don't even have words for it. You're so special, and unique and intelligent and gifted. Please, please don't do this. It's just one relationship. I know it feels like a lot right now, but it's not worth ending everything."

"I thought I was a burden for you."

"No hon, no, never. And I do love you. I promise, I'll help you through this." Piper loved Jai like family. He'd never had kids himself, having never settled into a serious enough relationship where they could even think about finding a surrogate (given his record, he figured adopting was out), but he considered the twins to be close enough to count. He couldn't imagine what it would feel like to lose Jai, who really was like a son to him.

They finally pulled onto the bridge. Piper leaned against the window, desperately looking for his young friend. He motioned for James to pull over, and he raced for the street lamp that illuminated a figure sitting hunched over on the ground.

Jai dropped his phone, shot up off the ground, and ran into Piper's waiting arms. Piper crushed the teen to his chest and let out a sob of relief at having the boy in his arms, safe and there. "God you scared the crap out of me Jai."

"I'm s-sorry Hartley."

"Don't ever doubt your importance to me please," Piper gasped. Then he noticed the sound of Wally's feet hitting pavement, then water, circling around them. He gave Jai another tight squeeze, knowing that his part in the night's drama was coming to a close and wanting the reassurance of Jai's warm, living body pressed close to him for as long as possible. This was a heartbeat that he wanted to hear grow into a man's, and when it stilled he wanted to be long dead himself.

Wally finally approached them. Jai looked up when he heard the distinctive sound of a speedforce generated boot hitting the curb. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

Wally blinked at them in bewilderment, and then the speedforce reclaimed the costume, leaving him in pajamas. "I'm...not quite sure. What's going on?"

Piper unconsciously squeezed Jai, eyes locked fearfully with Wally's. "I called him, just in case. Jai, you need to talk to your parents. You need help."

Jai pushed out of Piper's arms, and when Piper took a step to come closer he ran back several paces, taking him worryingly close to the edge of the bridge. His face shone with perceived betrayal.

Piper pleaded as best he could. "I'm not letting you go without a fight. Jai, please, talk to your dad."

"Why? So I'm his problem instead? I thought I could trust you Piper, but you're a fucking liar! I am a burden, aren't I?"

"No! But I can't run at the speed of light if I need to save your life!"

"What?" Wally squawked. "Jai, get off the fucking bridge right now! That's not funny!"

"Well I'm not joking! I know you won't miss me, so just get the hell out of here! Fuck you!"

"Jai!" Piper yelled.

"Shut up Piper! You're a liar too! Just get away from me! Leave me alone!" And then he was hit by a crimson blur that dragged him safely onto the sidewalk. When they stopped, Piper could see Jai hitting and kicking at his white-faced father, trying to break his hold. "Stop it! Let me go! Let me go! Fucking let me go like you did when you picked Irey you son of a bitch! I hate you!"

To Piper's surprise, he could see tears streaming down Wally's face as he struggled to hold his flailing son. Wally was usually able to hold his composure until the action passed.

Then again, all bets were off when it involved family.

After a few minutes of thrashing and expletive filled verbal hatred, Jai tired out and collapsed, a sobbing mess in Wally's arms.

"Jai, please let me help you. Let me and your mom in. We want to help, I promise."

Jai closed his eyes and finally nodded. Piper hesitantly walked over to them. "I-if you need me, if I can be any help-"

"I've got it from here Hartley. Thanks." Wally briefly met his eyes, and the poor guy looked terrified but also grateful. Piper nodded heavily, and was about to step away when Jai broke away from his father and ran over for another hug.

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess."

"Don't worry about me Jai, worry about you. And let your parents help. I love you."

"Love you too."

Piper gave him another squeeze and then entrusted him to his father.

James was sitting in the front seat of his car waiting for him when Piper got back. "How'd it go?"

"I don't know...I hope he's going to open up, but..."

"I didn't catch all of that. Was this really over a boy?"

Piper shrugged. "I think the boy was just a catalyst, but it sounds like Jai got his poor heart trampled on."

"Yeah, uh...speaking of that. This is probably a bad time to tell you this, but I don't think this is going to work for me. I'm sorry Hart, but I don't think you've changed that much and I don't want to go back to this."

Piper stared at him in incredulity. "Can you drop me at Wally's?" He added a mental 'you son of a bitch.'

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick spent half of the next night searching Gotham's rooftops and seedier locales for Damian. Eventually he noticed a distinct lack of concussed street thugs with broken bones and figured that Robin had skipped his patrol.

He found Damian in his little nook in the Batcave. The kid was wearing workout clothes and his hair was messy, but his sweat was dry so it had been some time since whatever brutal workout he'd subjected his body to had taken place. He was lying on his back on his workbench, gazing at the roof of the Cave with deadened eyes.

"Hey…" Dick leaned against a table and waited for some acknowledgment.

"Kid Flash and two of the Flashes have already made excursions to Gotham to verbally abuse me, so if you plan on detailing how my carelessness has hurt Jai you can refrain. I've heard it."

"The Flashes yelled at you? Even Bart? He's like the most easy going guy ever," Dick said in blatant incredulity.

"Such is my ability to be characterized as the villain," Damian muttered. He looked bitter, which was understandable given he'd just ended a relationship, but there was still something unexpected about it. He was so…melancholy, from his expression to his lethargic posture (and Damian was never lethargic).

And that made Dick realize that he knew very little about what had gone down between the two teens.

"Do you want to talk about it? What happened?"

Damian's lips curled up ever so slightly, but it was more of an amused grimace than an actual smile. "You're the first person to ask me that. The first person to assume I had a reason for breaking it off. Even Father…"

"Jai's really hurting, and he does it visibly so everyone's responding to that." After all, the kid had been involuntarily committed less than two hours after the break up. "But talk to me. I wanna know your side. You never mentioned anything that made me think you were going to dump him." But it had also been months since Damian had really communicated with him.

Damian sat up, but he curled in on himself with his legs tucked up against his chest rather than face Dick. "It just…things became tense, I suppose…certainly uncomfortable, once the relationship became sexual."

"Oh. Well a little awkwardness is normal. I mean, you guys were both virgins, so-"

"He wasn't a virgin." Damian said it in such a matter of fact tone that Dick nodded, and prepared to adjust his advice before the words sank in.

"Wait, what? Really?"

Damian finally made eye contact with Dick, apparently intrigued by his surprise. "I don't know when he began his sexual exploration, but I was not his first or only partner."

Dick had just begun processing the fact that Jai must have been young when he'd started having sex when Damian dropped another bombshell on him.

"Our arrangement wasn't a monogamous one, which didn't trouble me at first-"

"What do you mean it wasn't…uh…continue." With effort, Dick bit back his rant and Damian quietly continued, but he was talking to his feet instead of looking Dick in the face.

"As I was saying, it didn't trouble me at first, but when he requested we forgo the use of condoms I proposed monogamy and he wouldn't have it. He said I'd have to propose to him. That was the first time we almost ended the relationship."

Dick tried to think of something to say, but this conversation had turned so far from what he'd expected that he had no stock phrases of comfort, or even comparable experiences to draw from, to counsel Damian with. He couldn't picture his little godson, at age sixteen, demanding an open relationship. And it sounded an awful lot like Jai had been using his sexuality to manipulate Damian. "Uh…you never caved on the condom thing, right?"

"Considering his activity?" Damian snorted derisively. "He made your actions look downright prudish. I was persistent about the use of protection."

Dick was positive he didn't want Damian to elaborate on Jai's actions. "So Jai was more, uh…explorative than you, huh? So was that it, or…you just look like…you know I'm here for you if you want to talk about it, okay? So, so don't shut down on me."

"Perhaps you should stop rambling and listen then," Damian suggested wryly.

"Sure. Shutting up."

"Alright. We'd settled into an almost agreeable arrangement whereby he understood that I'd prefer to be the only person he slept with, but as I couldn't promise him a long term commitment then him having other partners was…was an accommodation I had to make. I did my best to respect my promise to you in regards to his feelings, but I fear I did a poor job of it. It would have been easier if someone had forced him to promise to respect me though."

Dick swallowed, as his throat was suddenly dry, and nodded for Damian to continue.

"I got Jai to accept that I would be his only partner when we were together-"

"Wait, what?" Dick exploded.

Damian quirked an eyebrow, looking up to face Dick again. "Perhaps I'd made too much of your reputation. Jai and his companions assured me that three ways are…what was the term they used? Butterscotch?"

"I think you mean vanilla, and they're not standard," Dick said, feeling flustered. "And I've ruined a relationship with a poorly thought out three way, so they are something to be careful with."

Damian nodded. "It didn't feel right to me, having others present."

"I'm sorry Damian. I had no idea Jai was so different from you about this stuff. He always seems so withdrawn and, well…innocent."

"Dick…if I tell you about something, will you promise not to repeat it? To anyone?"

"That kinda goes without saying." Dick tried to smile reassuringly, but it was difficult to do when his insides were churning from guilt. Would Damian had tried all of that uncomfortably kinky sex if Dick hadn't blindly made him promise to be careful with Jai's feelings?

He didn't really want to know whatever it was Damian was holding back, but he was always going to be there for the kid.

Damian lowered his head again and let out a small sigh. "Jai liked it when I hurt him."

"Oh. Uh…yeah, some people do get into that."

"I don't wish to be one of them. He asked me to-to do things, say things that I…and when I wouldn't he deliberately provoked me, trying to make me lose control. He made me feel like I was becoming the kind of person Mother wanted me to be. Cold. Ruthless. I don't want to be as foolishly empathetic as you, but I…I don't want to be what they want either."

Dick pushed off from the table, closed the space between them, and stood in front of Damian. "Alright, get up."

"Excuse me?"

"Just shut up and hug me."

"Grayson, don't-"

"I said shut up and hug me. I'm not arguing with you about this."

With a scowl, Damian rose to his feet and his posture went rigid as Dick pulled him into a hug. Dick inhaled shakily, and tried to tamp down all the guilt he was feeling. "Damian I am so, so sorry. I thought you'd hurt Jai at first too. I had no idea he was playing head games with you, I swear. I never would have told you to put up with any of that. Please, please keep me in the loop from now on. I don't want to have anything to do with you getting hurt like that again."

"Will you please get control of yourself? I'm fine."

"I know." And yet Dick clung harder.

"How long do these things have to last?"

"Sorry." Reluctantly, Dick released him. "Thanks for letting me do that."

Damian sighed. "You're welcome. But we're never doing that again."

Dick nodded. "Sure. So, uh…I know you're okay-" in that that was the pretense he'd keep up, "but…is there anything I can do? Believe me, I know from experience how much break ups suck. If you want to be alone I'll go, but…"

"You don't have to leave just yet," Damian said. He seemed like he wanted to say more, but nothing came out.

By this point Dick knew when he had to step in with suggestions. "Wanna go for a drive and hang out at my place? We can marathon the Ken Burns Civil War special and get some greasy tofu pad thai."

Damian smiled weakly. "I'd like to change first, but that sounds…agreeable. Dick, thank you."

"Not a problem."


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper visits Jai in the hospital. Damian accompanies Lian to an Arrow Family dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some info in this chapter on Buddhism. It's informed by my religious studies minor and my practice as a Theravadin Buddhist.

Chapter Nineteen

Dick and Damian fell asleep on the couch in Dick's living room with the TV on, their takeout sitting in front of them on the coffee table (handily, Dick knew of almost every twenty four hour eatery in several major metropolises).

When Dick woke up his living room was clean and Damian was in the shower. He'd never had a guest wake up before him. It was a novel experience. He went into his kitchen to see what he could throw together for breakfast, and found a note on his table in cramped script:

Grayson,  
Your kitchen is appallingly inadequate and I refuse to ingest anything you concoct with its meager contents. We're going out once you wake.  
-D

Dick crumpled the note, then went to get dressed. By the time he was brushing his hair, Damian was leaning against his doorway wearing some clothes he'd swiped from Dick's dresser. It was a bit bizarre to see him in jeans, and the t-shirt he'd borrowed was a bit too snug around the shoulders.

"You saw my note?"

"Yes. You know, I have perfectly good bacon and OJ."

Damian pulled a face. "You'd really ingest pig fat? Our bodies are our weapons. You ought to treat yours with a little more respect."

"And you should respect bacon. It's delicious," Dick returned.

Damian shook his head. "Disgusting. I refuse to eat it."

"Fine, we'll go get pancakes or something. But you're paying."

They ended up bringing bagels and coffee back to Dick's. While they were eating, Damian got seven texts from Jai. He ignored them, so Dick didn't say anything (though he was curious about how Jai had snuck his cell phone with him into the hospital. From what Wally had said, Jai's access to his personal belongings had been severely restricted). Damian did stop to read every one of them though, and after the seventh something pained crossed his face.

"I think I'd better just call him. Some sort of direct action is necessary to deter this behavior."

"Okay. I'll, uh-"

"You're here if I need to talk afterwards," Damian said, rolling his eyes.

Dick nodded. "Good luck."

Damian went into the bedroom to make his phone call, and Dick tried to quash the urge to eavesdrop but quickly gave in and stood by the door to listen.

"You wished to tell me something? …Jai, I am sorry, but I'm not going to change my mind…well, things between us were just, just more trouble than I think-no, I want to be friends with you, that's why the sexual component…Jai, you're not listening to me. I'm ending it because I care for you-yes it makes sense. I've never desired to hurt you and…no, Jai, I cannot do the things you want me to…no, it's not…fine. I'm sorry too…Goodbye."

Dick started back towards the couch, but he only managed two steps before Damian flung the door open. "I heard you breathing Grayson. I don't suppose I put on a terribly interesting show?"

"S-sorry. Couldn't help it, detectives are curious."

"They're also generally quiet when they snoop. It's alright though. I was going to tell you everything anyway."

They walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch. "What'd he say?"

"That he loves me, that he'll do nearly anything for me. Exactly the same things he said when I ended it." Damian sighed. "I don't know why he insisted on speaking with me. Nothing's changed. He still rejects my terms for beginning the relationship again."

"I didn't know you were willing to take him back," Dick said. "What are your terms?"

"A period of abstinence with full monogamy to follow. I don't expect him to ever accept those terms, but I think those are the only conditions under which I could feel comfortable."

Dick nodded thoughtfully. "It's a good call. I don't think Jai's mature enough to see what you're going for though. He probably sees the abstinence as a punishment instead of a chance to work on the relationship." That's how Dick would have seen it at sixteen, anyway. He was really impressed with Damian.

"Mm. I wish things had turned out differently. I don't think it's possible for us to be friends now."

"Give it time," Dick advised. "I've remained friends with a lot of my exes, but it never happens overnight. Just make sure you both understand and respect that there are always going to be some feelings there."

Damian nodded, and leaned forward slightly with a pensive look on his face. "You and Father have so much experience with sexuality and I have so little. Are my attempts at relationships all doomed to failure until I develop a level of expertise that will render me comfortable?"

Dick thought for a minute about how to respond to that. "Damian…Jai was using his sexuality to hurt and control you. That's not how it's supposed to be. Even when I do non-traditional things, I do it with an interested partner and the goal is for us to have fun. My primary rule is that sex should always be fun for everyone involved. And ideally, an expression of your feelings for you partner, but I'm not going to pretend that that's always been the case for me."

Damian nodded but otherwise gave no sign of having heard him. Dick really wasn't sure he wanted to go there, but he thought a more specific anecdote might help. "I think I've gone through something similar to what just happened with you and Jai."

"Oh. With whom?"

"Kory," Dick murmured. He'd first drawn the connection when Damian had told him the full story the previous night, and it had been circling in his thoughts since. "We started dating when we were about your age. She's the one who expanded my horizons sexually. I was pretty vanilla before that, and almost a virgin when it came to girls."

"Not males?" Damian couldn't help but observe.

Dick smirked. "Roy was more comfortable about it than the girls I'd dated. Anyway, Kory was Roy's level of exploration to the nth degree. It's a cultural difference. Tamaranians trust their first impulses and impressions. When she met me, she went from thinking she might like me to seducing me almost instantaneously. And when we started sleeping together, any time she thought something sounded like fun she'd want to try it, and well…I was eighteen. It didn't take much to convince me."

"I see. So Starfire is to blame for your subsequent debauched lifestyle?"

"Not at all. I made my own choices. She just helped me open doors. Anyway, eventually she thought we should try some S and M stuff. I've got a kink for bondage, so I was more than happy to give it a go. The first couple of times I was the sub and it was great. Then she saw how much I liked it and she wanted to switch roles-"

"And you let her?" Damian snapped, clearly startled. "With her background of enslavement and torture?"

"I always forget how much free time you've spent reading through Bruce's files. Yeah, it was a bad idea. She broke down and that killed it for me. I untied her and held her and kissed her until she stopped crying, and she kept telling me to keep going, that she wanted to please me. I'm with you though. There's nothing erotic to me about hurting your partner. I love Kory. It's been years and I'm still sorry I did that to her."

Damian's expression darkened. "I couldn't make Jai understand that. He said that I shouldn't mind since he enjoyed it, but…"

"You didn't enjoy it. That's perfectly fine. You just need to find someone more suited to you. And trust me, more people than not don't want to be mistreated."

Damian visibly brightened at a new thought. "Would it be fair to ask someone about their preferences before suggesting a relationship or would that be off-putting?"

"Uh…I wouldn't ask on the first date," Dick said with a smile. "But it's good to know before you start having sex."

"That makes sense. I suppose it's inappropriate to request a psychological profile?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't do that. But hey, you're learning."

"Don't patronize me Grayson."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wait out here for a sec while I go ask Dad, okay?"

Roy was lying on the couch with his laptop when he heard female voices in his hallway. Sighing, he hid his Mah Jong game and pulled up the newspaper articles he was supposed to be reading for Dick's human trafficking case. Lian skipped into the room, amping up her natural sweetness to a suspicious degree.

"Hi Daddy! How goes the research?"

Roy shrugged. "It goes. What's up Peanut? Who'd you bring home with you?"

Lian started fidgeting with the silver bangle bracelets on her wrist. "Irey wanted to know if she could hang out here and like, have dinner with us and stuff. That's okay, right?"

Irey poked her head in from the doorway. "Hi Mr. Harper!"

"Hey Irey, c'mon in. Of course it's okay." Roy looked a little confused. "You sure your family doesn't want you home though?" He'd figured the Wests would all be banding together to support each other while Jai was in the hospital. At any rate, he'd kept his distance and politely (he felt, anyway) refrained from decking Wally when he'd bumped into the guy on the Watchtower.

Irey followed Lian into the living room, but remained by the door. The poor girl looked terrible. There were shadows under her downcast eyes, and she'd dressed carelessly. She was wearing unflattering sweatpants with a tank top, and she'd made no attempt to groom her wild red hair into any sense of order. Roy couldn't help but feel for her.

"M-Mom and Dad have a lot of support and I, I just wanted a break for a little bit," she chirped. "But um, if you'd rather I not-"

"Irey, you're always welcome here. Did I do something to give you the impression that you weren't?" Roy asked, genuinely concerned that Lian's best friend didn't feel comfortable around him.

Lian smirked. "You punched her dad in the face."

Right, that.

"Oh. Yeah, now I can kinda see where you got that. Sweetheart, your dad gets on my nerves all the time, but we'll work through it later. We have that kind of friendship where we can resolve our issues by beating the piss out of each other. It's a guy thing. In the meantime let me reiterate, you're always welcome here. So settle in and consider this a safe space," Roy said.

Irey smiled weakly, but went back to looking at her feet. "Thanks Mr. Harper."

"C'mon, let's go upstairs." Lian dragged her back into the hallway. She threw a grateful smile Roy's way before disappearing from view.

Roy turned back to his computer, hid the work article, and pulled up his Mah Jong game. "So maybe Keystone doesn't need me as a hero, but I'm out-parenting that walking vibrator. Suck it West."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Jai first arrived at the hospital he was on a strict family-only list for visitation. After he settled in, made some progress in therapy, and went a few days without issue, his restrictions were relaxed and he was allowed to see friends in addition to family.

The first chance he got, Piper drove up to the hospital to see him. Or rather, he attempted. It was an old building left over from Progressive Era reform (one of the few in the area that hadn't been closed when America de-institutionalized), and as that philosophy involved expansive, well-ordered, isolated grounds it was in the middle of nowhere.

He got hopelessly lost on back roads and had to spend a few minutes fighting with his phone's GPS before he got on his way again, but after that it was smooth sailing. Then he pulled into the parking lot of the Breedmore mental hospital.

Piper stared at the building in shock. He hadn't seen it in years, but that was unmistakably Breedmore. He managed to tear his gaze away from the horribly evocative building edifice and dug through the clutter on his passenger seat until he found the piece of notebook paper Linda had written the directions on for him.

"There. Jai's supposed to be staying in the juvenile wing of the Greater Keystone mental hygiene ward. God, that's a terrible name. What am I doing…?" Then he saw a sign pointing people to the visitor's entrance, and came to the realization that in the years since his own mental collapse and involuntary commitment, the Breedmore hospital had expanded into a complex, and the Greater Keystone mental hygiene ward was part of it.

Piper seriously considered pulling back out of the parking lot and heading home, but ultimately decided that his affection for Jai overpowered his desire to avoid the second most miserable place he'd ever been confined against his will (and he was a little saddened to have enough instances of involuntary confinement for a ranked list). Because as unpleasant as Breedmore hospital had been, it was nothing compared to Iron Heights under warden Wolfe.

Piper dutifully got out of the car and started walking for the visitor's entrance with his head down, consoling himself with the thought that anyone involved in his treatment must have retired or moved on to another facility by now. He was so distracted by his own anxieties that he almost walked into another visitor. "Oh I'm sorry…eee…"

Again, Piper reassessed how much he cared about Jai, and again decided that his affection outweighed his discomfort. But it was a close thing, because that was Barry fucking Allen he'd almost walked into.

At least Barry looked as uncomfortable as Piper felt. He shook the paper bag he was holding. "Hey Hartley. I was, um, just bringing Jai some food from the outside. Sorry, was that insensitive?"

"Only because you asked about it."

"Right, uh…shall we?"

"I guess." Piper followed after his ex-nemesis. They checked in, signed the log, were awarded visitor stickers, and then they got buzzed into the ward.

Jai was sitting at a table playing Connect Four with a disturbed looking ginger kid. He looked terrible; he was pale, which just looked deathly with his naturally dark complexion, and the shadows under his eyes looked like bruises. Without the styling products in his angled hair, it just looked scruffy and sad. And he was so thin, the hard plastic bracelet around his wrist just accentuating how small he was.

Piper and Barry just watched him for a moment, both in similar states of bewilderment at the change in the troubled but cocky young boy they were used to, and both trying to mask their shock before he looked up and saw them. Barry was much closer to having an expression like encouragement on his face when Jai finally noticed them.

"Piper!" Jai yelled. He shot out of the seat and ran across the common room to the entrance, throwing his skinny arms around Piper and completely ignoring Barry and his calzone.

Piper tried not to be smug, and tried not to enjoy the look of hurt on Barry's face, but he was only human and secretly enjoyed the fact that Wally's kids were closer to him than their actual uncle (well, the competition was more even with Irey, but he still had some extra points from being her godfather). He returned Jai's hug, and when the teen released him Piper was wearing a genuine smile. "Hey Jai. How are you doing?"

"Sucky. Hey Uncle Barry." He nodded in Barry's direction, the man gave a little wave, then Jai turned back to Piper. "C'mon, let's go hang in my room. Hey Marty, I'll finish the game with you later if you want."

The ginger kid violently flicked the bottom tab and the checkers went spilling to the floor.

"Never mind then. C'mon guys, I'm down the hall."

Piper half expected Jai to walk them to his old room (end of the hall, by the window), but they turned abruptly and headed into one about halfway down. Jai sat down on the impersonal little bed, beaming at Piper. "I'm really glad you guys came. I think that was my seventh game of Connect Four today."

"Aren't you doing any therapy work?" Barry asked, startled. "I thought that was why you were here."

"There's a lot of time to fill between group, and there isn't a lot you're allowed to do," Piper cut in. Jai's smile wavered, and he looked at Piper thoughtfully. Deciding he didn't care to explain why he was so personally acquainted with the norms of a mental hospital, Piper kept talking. "Anyway, I'll try to visit as much as I can while you're here." He sat down on the bed next to Jai and squeezed his hand. "How's your group? Are you getting along with the other kids?"

Jai made an iffy motion with the hand that wasn't squeezing Piper's. "They're not so bad. They're certainly worse off than me, so that's encouraging. I'm making a lot of progress. My doctor thinks I could be out in another week."

Barry started at that. "But you haven't been here that long. Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Well I'll still have to do a lot of work when I'm out, but…I just, I had a hard time," Jai mumbled, eyes downcast. He squeezed Piper's hand hard enough to hurt. Piper winced, but didn't pull away.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of Jai. We just want you to be safe," Piper reassured him.

"Exactly," Barry said. "So don't, like, rush out of the hospital just to get out of here, okay? Everyone's going to keep visiting you and helping you. Your Aunt Iris is heading up as soon as she gets out of work tomorrow, and I'm going to try to swing by again too."

"That'd be nice. What's in the bag?"

Barry handed off the calzone, and Jai smiled appreciatively. "I'm gonna go ask the nurse to put this in the fridge for me for later. Thanks Uncle Barry. Be right back."

Piper and Barry sat in an awkward silence while they waited for Jai. Piper rubbed at his arm, and Barry paced back and forth in front of the window.

Finally, he addressed Piper. "This is where you were when…uh, isn't it?"

Piper nodded. "I'd rather not talk about that though."

"Alright, that's, that's fine. But first, I just wanted to-"

"Really Barry, I'm not interested in talking about that just now," Piper said, aware that he was being rude, and he'd promised Wally and Linda, and even Iris on one occasion, to try harder to get along with Barry, especially in front of the kids, but he just couldn't.

Barry beating him senseless and sending him off to jail had been bad enough, but that last battle, coming to in a straightjacket instead of a prison jumpsuit (and never having been unconscious, just not being there) had been infinitely worse. He wasn't prepared to discuss it.

Barry seemed to be about to try again, but Jai walked in and he dropped the subject.

From there the three shared a slightly awkward but overall pleasant visit. Jai was more engaged with his conversation with Barry and Piper than he'd ever been since entering his broody teen phase. He asked lots of questions about what everyone was up to, and even asked Barry for some tales of his superhero exploits (which was new; generally superhero stories made him sulky because that was "Irey's thing" and not his).

Piper kept waiting for Barry to leave, but it never happened. He was tempted to hypnotize the bastard, but as usual held himself in check. He really wanted some one-on-one time with Jai though. Piper didn't think he was amiss in assuming that he and Jai had a particularly strong and unique relationship, and that the teen would share things with Piper that he wouldn't necessarily share in front of his uncle. He wanted the chance to counsel the boy, but that wasn't going to happen with the scarlet dildo standing there…

And whoa, because he hadn't had such petty thoughts since he'd been a Rogue. Piper took a deep breath, fixed a smile he didn't feel on his face, and joined back into the conversation.

To Piper's annoyance, once visiting hours were over and they were leaving the hospital, Barry matched strides with him on the way to the parking lot. Piper shoved his hands in his pockets and sped up his pace, but of course the scarlet speedster kept up with him.

"Hey, Hartley, can we talk for a minute?" Barry finally called, once they were in the parking lot.

Piper scowled. "I'd really rather not. But if you insist on saying whatever it is that apparently can't wait, just be warned that I'm not going to be pleasant. This-" he waved to indicate the building, "wasn't exactly a pleasant surprise. I had no idea Jai was being confined here."

"Confined isn't quite the right word. He's being treated-"

"It's a matter of perspective," Piper snapped.

Barry let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, all I wanted to do was apologize."

"Apologize?" Piper repeated blankly. "For what?"

"…for pushing you into that meltdown. I could see that you were losing it, and I…it spurred me on. I was going through a lot, and it wasn't right of me to take it out on you while you were unwell." It looked like it cost him something to admit that.

Piper gaped at him. "Well yeah, but I mean…I was really, really unwell. I did need the help at the time and I wasn't exactly going to ask for it on my own. As a superhero, I think you were within rights to do what you needed to take me in." Piper couldn't believe what he was saying, but the genuine remorse from his ex-nemesis caught him completely off-guard.

"I know I needed to bring you in, but vibrating your base down around you was unnecessary. There were other ways to stop you, and I was, well, cruel. Anyway Hartley, I'm sorry. And I'm glad you're looking out for Jai. If he hadn't come to you…if he'd kept sitting on that bridge, who knows what might have happened?"

Piper chewed his lip, because he'd been thinking that a lot the past week. "Thanks. I'm trying my best, but he's…well, he's a lot like me when I was his age. And that scares the shit out of me, because I was not a happy teenager and I did a lot of stupid things because of it."

"Like wearing a polka dotted dress with a plunging neckline and thigh high boots?" Barry asked with a snort.

"I was in my twenties when I switched to the thigh highs, but it's all kinds of interesting that you recalled that particular version of the costume."

Barry's face colored. "It was just the most attention grabbing version of the outfit you wore, okay?"

Laughing, Piper found himself making an offer he'd never expected to hear coming out of his mouth. "Hey Flash, wanna go get a drink or something?"

Barry looked just as surprised hearing it as Piper had been saying it, but a slow smile formed on his face. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian was in his room reading when his phone rang. He checked that it wasn't Jai before answering, but that was becoming a useless reflex as the days wore on. It may only have been because his phone had been seen and confiscated, but Jai hadn't called Damian since the first week of his confinement.

He hoped it was because the other teen was accepting the breakup and moving on though.

As expected, the call was from Lian, not Jai, so he answered it. "Yes?"

"Ahlan Dami!"

"…ahlan?"

There was an uncertain pause. "Did I say it wrong? My friend Zahara said that was hello in Arabic."

Damian smirked. "It is, it's just very Egyptian. I'm Iraqi, for future reference. Marhaban is one of the greetings in Modern Standard. It's a bit more universal."

"Oh. Well anyway, hey howdy. What's shaking?"

That particular idiom had thrown him the first few times Lian had used it, but after a few months of phone calls and sporadic training sessions, he understood it to be an invitation for chit chat in preamble to the purpose of her call. "Things are…generally well. Better than they've been, anyway. How are you?"

"Urgh, awful." And customarily Lian was much more honest about her situation than he was. Well, honesty wasn't exactly the right term, because things had improved for Damian. He supposed Lian was just going into more detail. "Irey's brother is in the hospital, if you didn't hear, and she's been over like every day since it happened. I love the girl to death, but supporting her through this is draining like you would not believe. I mean I'm happy to, but…just getting kinda tired, y'know?"

"I'm usually on the receiving end in these sorts of situations. Most people don't turn to me for comfort."

Lian giggled. "I suppose not."

"Well, I suppose tonight's training session should serve as a welcome diversion. I think you're ready to progress to some light weapons work-"

"Damian, I'm sorry but I can't go. Jai's having visitors that aren't family now, so I'm going up to see him with Irey and her uncle Piper, and then Irey's sleeping over."

Damian scowled. "That hardly sounds conducive to improving your mood. Wouldn't that just create more stress?"

"Well, I mean yeah, but…"

"Then you shouldn't go."

"Dami…is everything alright?"

He squeezed his eyes shut and bit back a sigh of frustration. He hadn't fully realized it until then, but he'd been looking forward to seeing Lian. It was the first time they were supposed to meet up since he'd ended things with Jai, and something about the bright young girl's company was reassuring to him. Soothing, even. Talking to Lian was like talking to Dick, with something more.

Finding an appropriate way to phrase that to a thirteen year old was a hopeless task, however, so Damian remained silent.

Lian awkwardly attempted to strike the conversation back up. "I'm really sorry I had to break plans last minute. If you want to come with us you can. I mean, I don't think Daddy'll let you sleep over since you're a boy and he's crazy, but you could come visit Jai with us. I bet he'd like to see you."

"I need to patrol," Damian ground out, then abruptly ended the call.

It took him all of five seconds to regret his actions. After all, Lian had extended him the invitation with the best of intentions. She didn't know that Damian was longing for her company to help distract him from his.

When his cellphone vibrated with another call, he ignored it in favor of trudging down to the Cave to get ready for patrol.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As was usual, when Damian wanted the streets of Gotham to fill with criminals for him to work his frustration out on, they all seemed to decide to stay in and be law abiding citizens. He spent three hours swinging through the city or perching on rooftops, and all he found was one lonely purse snatcher.

Three batarangs and a grapple had probably been overkill. The girl who owned the purse had run screaming in the other direction, and his subsequent attempt to return her stolen property only terrified her more. There was identification in the purse though. He'd just have it mailed to her.

When he finally admitted defeat and headed back to the Cave, it was to find Dick and Roy waiting for him, neither of them in costume. Having a distinctly bad feeling about that, Damian did his best to ignore them, and strode purposefully towards the stairs.

"Hey, you're not going to break Alfred's no costumes in the manor rule, are you?"

Damian stopped in his tracks and dutifully altered his course for the changing rooms. He thought the rule was stupid (not to mention the fact that they paid Pennyworth, so him making rules to begin with was just ridiculous), but unfortunately his father also insisted on enforcing it and Damian had yet to talk him out of it after nearly eight years.

And of course, Dick and Roy were still waiting patiently for him when he emerged, sans Robin costume. "Alright fine, what is it?"

"I'm here with instructions to bring you with me to Coast City," Roy said. "There are supposedly dire consequences awaiting me should I show my face without a Damian in tow."

"You'll have to fill us in about those consequences later," Damian said with a sneer, "I have no intention of going anywhere with you, least of all to Coast City."

"Look, we're having a big family get together at Green Arrow's and Lian wants you there. She's worried about you for some reason."

"Using your daughter to lure me away with you worked when I was ten. It won't work this time, so just leave me alone." Again, Damian started for the stairs.

"You're up," Roy muttered.

Dick followed Damian up into the manor. He didn't say anything, just patiently followed Damian as he trudged irritably through the massive house. When Damian reached his bedroom door he whipped around and scowled at his friend. "What? What? Just say it!"

And instead of feeding into his anger, like anyone else would, Dick watched him with concern heavy in his eyes. "I think you should go to the dinner. Lian's worried about you because she's your friend. You should open up to her too. I think it'd be good for you."

"I'll…consider it."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And of course, the next day Damian found himself walking through the airport at Coast City with Harper.

Apparently after Star City had rebuilt and repopulated from Prometheus and Electrocutioner's attack, various members of the Arrow family had tried to stick it out and keep protecting it, but the city just contained more painful memories than they could handle, even collectively. First Connor had left; followed by Mia, with Oliver holding on the longest (Roy had never once tried to move back after Lian's death). It's not like there were supervillains roaming Star to begin with, so eventually Ollie's friends had sat him down in something like an intervention and forced him to move to the thoroughly rebuilt, repopulated, and booming Coast City.

He'd moved in with Hal Jordan, and really it was probably good for Ollie to live with his best friend. Few other heroes understood the trauma of having your city wiped out, after all.

Roy led them over to the baggage claim, looking distinctly irritable. Apparently the man didn't fly well.

Or maybe his bad mood was the result of Damian not speaking to him once since they'd left Gotham, but keeping up a continuous judgmental glare.

They retrieved their luggage and then made their way out to the parking lot. Damian had barely gone three steps when he heard pounding feet heading towards him and his companion. He dropped his suitcase and adopted a defensive stance, and then Lian ran right by him to tackle-hug her father. "Daddy!"

"Hey Peanut!" Roy held her up as best he could with the one arm. She kissed his cheek, and then he lowered her to the ground.

Damian blinked. He'd never actually seen them separated for more than a few hours before. Was that always how they greeted each other? (A bizarre thought occurred to him: what would his father do if he ever tried anything like that?)

Lian gave Damian a much more subdued hug. "I'm really glad you decided to come," she whispered before pulling away. Her smile was lovely. Some of that tension that Damian had been carrying with him since learning of Jai's suicide attempt began to ease (though, naturally, not the guilt). He returned the smile as best he could.

"I think I am as well."

"Cool!"

Roy was scanning the parking lot. "Li, who'd you come here with?"

"Oh right. I ran off as soon as I saw you." She leaned up on her tip toes and started waving. "Uncle Connor! I found them!"

Connor Hawke strode over to meet them, looking amused where most would probably be annoyed at being ditched in a busy airport parking lot. Damian had only ever briefly associated with the second Green Arrow before. He was friends with Drake, and Drake's friends generally avoided him. Hawke was a striking young man, no doubt resulting from his unique blend of ethnic heritage; dark skinned, odd yet pleasing green eyes, sensuous features, and soft looking blond hair. "Hello Roy, Damian. You're both looking well."

Damian inclined his head, and Roy smiled easily at his sort-of brother. The party set off for Connor's car, and soon they were on their way to Ollie and Hal's house.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lian had been looking forward to the big family dinner at her grandpa's house for weeks. The Arrows never saw enough of each other, what with her and Roy living so far away, and the West Coast residents just being insanely busy and mostly on different schedules. Lian's family meant the world to her (well, not all of her biological family anymore, but certainly all the ones who'd never tried to kill her) and she loved getting them together.

Unfortunately, the reality wasn't quite what she'd pictured, and throwing a volatile kid like Damian into the mix didn't seem to be helping. And now that Dinah wasn't around to work her magic on everyone's tempers, things were a lot tenser than she remembered them being in her childhood.

It started practically when they walked through the door. She ran into the living room to give her grandpa one of her tackle hugs, and Mia all but fled, tripping over her laptop and knocking over a stack of textbooks as she went. At first Lian worried that it had something to do with her (after all, she'd only seen Mia a couple times since her resurrection, and they hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk at Cassie and Conner's wedding), but then Lian noticed the expression on her father's face.

Before she could puzzle out how to address that awkwardness, Ollie started humiliating his son by talking (loudly) about his new girlfriend, and wondering (again, very loudly) why he hadn't invited her over to the dinner.

"Because I've only been seeing her for a week Dad. It didn't seem appropriate."

"What? Why the hell not? You think we're gonna scare her off or something?" Ollie demanded.

"Gracious, wherever could he get an idea like that?" Hal asked with a wink.

Ollie scowled defensively. "I'd never actually embarrass the kid in front of his girl."

Roy coughed something that sounded an awful lot like "intentionally" and Ollie rounded on him. "Well what about you? You coulda brought your love interest and instead you're babysitting his kid? That's a little fucked up Roy. And when are you proposing anyway? You're supposed to settle down and get me some more grandbabies to spoil. Just because you and Dick can't make 'em yourself doesn't mean you don't have options, you know."

Lian grabbed Damian's arm and dragged him from the living room before he could put his two cents in about that. "C'mon, let me give you a tour. I'll show you where the guest room is. You'll be bunking up with Uncle Connor. That's okay, right?"

Damian frowned. "I suppose he's the least objectionable of your male relatives."

"That's the spirit! Daddy's gonna sleep on a cot in my room."

"You have your own room?"

Lian grinned. "For as long as me and Grandpa Ollie have been alive at the same time, I've always had a room in every house he's owned. He's the type of guy that spoils his grandkids rotten, apparently. And so far I'm the only one so I reap all the benefits. Mwa ha ha." She jogged up the stairs, Damian on her heels, and led him down the hall.

Damian paused a few times to look at some of the pictures hanging up in the hallway. Lian felt her cheeks get hot, wishing he wouldn't. A lot of them were framed crayon illustrations from when she was about three, although there were a few more recent watercolors, including one that she'd won a silver key for.

Finally, Lian threw open the door to the guest room. "Ta da! Isn't it neat? Even though I've got my own room, sometimes I crash in here too."

It was one of her favorite rooms in the house. Connor had set it up, and it had a very Zen feel. The beds were low to the ground with frames of a dark, sturdy wood. There were paper dividers decoratively arranged along one wall, with a small table with a fountain and miniature Zen garden on top of it. There were also meditation cushions arranged in front of a large window, with a perfect view of the yard. Between the view, the soft lighting, and the full bookcase stocked by various members of the family, it was a serene little room perfect for reflection.

Damian took in the room with a passive expression on his face, then set his suitcase down in front of one of the beds. Calmly, he walked over to the meditation cushions and rearranged them.

"What are you doing?" Lian asked curiously.

"You had them set up wrong."

"But Uncle Connor put those there. He knows how they work Dami, he's a Buddhist. I think he's spent more time meditating than anyone I've ever met."

Damian paused in his rearranging and turned to face her. "Perhaps he's from one of the traditions I have little experience with. Is he Theravadin or Mahayanist? I'd assumed Zen, as most Americans seem familiar with that tradition, and in Zen the way you sit is very important. However, he had this zafu all wrong."

"Uh…he's a Buddhist?" Lian repeated, having no idea what those foreign words meant, and not entirely sure she could repeat them if needed.

Damian smirked. "I'll have to ask him about it later, I suppose."

"Yeah, sounds good. So, um…" Lian shut the door, then walked over to the other bed and sat down on it, giving a few nervous bounces. "D'ya mind if I ask why you hung up on me the other day?"

"…I'm very sorry about that. I was in a bad mood and I took it out on you."

"Alright. We good now?"

Damian nodded curtly. "As long as you'll forgive my rudeness."

"Course. Dami…was it just a bad mood or is something going on? You can talk to me you know. Whatever it is, I'll help you if I can."

"I know, and I appreciate your kindness. At the moment though, the sentiment is enough. I've no desire to go through my recent uncomfortable experiences with you. I'd rather enjoy your company instead."

Lian chewed her lip. She'd expected him to say something like that, but it still bothered her. "You're talking to Uncle Dick though, right?"

"Yes. He's actually been quite apt at counseling me through my current difficulty."

"Alright, cool beans. Then while we're here, we can just focus on hanging out and having fun. If you do wanna bring anything up though, I'm here for you."

"Again, the sentiment is appreciated."

Lian smiled at him, and watched him struggle to return it. "We've probably got a little while before dinner. What do you wanna do?"

For some reason, she didn't expect his answer even though it was entirely characteristic, and she found it crushing. "If you don't mind, I'd rather be alone for a little while. Social situations are a bit difficult for me to navigate. I'd like to take the time before dinner to prepare for it so I don't unintentionally offend your family."

"Dami, you don't have to worry about making a good impression on us. We're all nuts, and we're completely aware of it."

He looked a bit jittery, and she felt bad for putting pressure on him. Lian bounced off the bed and walked over to him. "Sorry, sorry. Take all the time you need." She leaned up to kiss his cheek, and he looked at her with a subdued smile that she was sure almost no one else got to see.

"Thank you for understanding me."

"Don't worry about it." She threw him another one of her easy smiles and retreated from the room. "Alrighty, guess I'll find out what's going on with Mia."

Mia was sleeping in a den on the first floor, so Lian went to look for her there. To her surprise, not only was the room short a Speedy, but all of her things had been packed up. She went out to the living room in a huff. "Where the hell did Mia go?"

Ollie narrowed his eyes. "She said she forgot about some real big exam she needed to study for and she had to skedaddle on home." And, just in case his tone wasn't enough, he threw in an afterthought. "It sounded like pure bullshit to me."

Roy was sitting on the arm of the couch, and he pointedly looked in the opposite direction from where Ollie was sitting.

Lian decided to mix a lip-quaver in with the puppy eyes. "What's going on? I know I missed something."

"Don't worry Li, nothing's going on. He's just blowing things out of proportion, like always," Roy reassured her.

Ollie snorted. "Get off it Harper, you know she ran out because of you!"

"Ollie, I really don't think this is the time to get into this," Hal muttered. It was clear Ollie was set to ignore him, but Roy opened his mouth to speak and he waited to hear what he had to say in defense of himself.

And instead, Roy walked out the front door and slammed it behind him. Lian jumped at the sound, and when she next turned her wide eyed stare on her grandpa and honorary uncle, she didn't need to fake the quavering lip. "Grandpa Ollie? Uncle Hal? What's going on?"

Ollie sighed and rubbed at his eyes. Hal squeezed his shoulder, then turned to face Lian. "Mia and your dad haven't really talked much since…well, since your funeral."

"What? But that was years ago!" How had she not noticed that they'd had a falling out? Every member of Lian's extended family had sought her out after her resurrection except Mia, and she'd never noticed. "What happened?"

"Roy blamed her for your death," Ollie said, disgust dripping from his voice. "I know he wasn't in his right mind at the time, what with his grief and the pain in his arm, but we were all grieving. And we were all blaming ourselves too. The thing is, once some time had passed and we all started to heal a little from it…he didn't take it back. If anything, he got worse. He said that he trusted Mia to watch you and keep you safe, and she-"

"But there was nothing she could do!" Lian yelled. "I was there, okay? I remember it! The walls were coming down and she couldn't get to me! It wasn't her fault!"

She was only aware of screaming when she noticed how quiet it was when she stopped. Hal was looking at her with such sad eyes, but Ollie was crumpled over with his head in his hands.

Lian wiped at her face. "A-anyway, um…I should tell Mia that…that there was nothing she could have done. She knows that, right?"

"I tell her it all the time Princess," Ollie said. "But I'm sure it'd mean more coming from you. You okay sweetheart? I didn't mean to dredge all that up for you. I'm just sick of Roy laying into her. I was hoping now that you were back that he would man up and apologize but…so far there hasn't been much of a change."

"Well, I'll take care of that," Lian promised.

Hal grinned. "I'm sure you will. So…it looks like if we want to get this dinner underway we have a couple of Speedys to round up. Lian, I think it'd be best if you got your father. Connor can probably convince Mia to come back."

"Alrighty."

Hal's logic was sound, but it only showed that he knew Roy particularly well, and knew that his beloved daughter could talk him into anything. His plan didn't show much insight regarding Lian.

When she found Roy skulking around the backyard grumbling to himself, she ran up to him, jumped up, and whapped him upside the head. "Ow!" Roy grimaced and rubbed the back of his skull.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Lian shrieked. "Are you fucking kidding me? Grandpa Ollie and Uncle Hal must have got something wrong, right? Because you are not honestly holding Mia responsible for my death."

Roy actually backed up a few steps. "L-Lian, this is kinda a personal issue-"

"Involving me. You're seriously putting Mia through that kind of a guilt trip? I repeat, what the fucking fuck is wrong with you? Don't you dare judge her Daddy, you weren't even there!" And then realizing that she'd gone way too far with that last one, and terrified of how severe her anger had come on so quickly (and even more terrified of the agony in her father's eyes), Lian turned on her heel and ran sobbing back into the house.

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When Damian went downstairs for dinner, he was feeling inwardly composed and ready to face an intimate gathering with a group of near-strangers. He'd spent the time meditating in the position he'd been trained to use the cushions for, and he was planning to ask Connor how he sat when he meditated.

To his surprise, half of the dinner guests he'd expected were absent. Only Green Arrow, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow II were at the table.

"Where are Roy, Lian, and Miss Dearden?" Damian asked.

Ollie leaned on the table on his elbows, scowling, Hal frowned and shook his head, and Connor calmly turned towards Damian to address him. "There was some sort of conflict while you were upstairs. Mia went home, Lian locked herself in her room, and no one's seen Roy anytime recently. We tried calling him, and then we found his phone in the garden."

"Oh." Damian had to wonder what the point of going out on an uncomfortable social call to see Lian was without Lian present. Feeling slightly abused, he took his seat next to Connor.

"Don't worry kiddo. Roy'll get his head out of his ass and get back here eventually," Ollie said, misreading Damian's discomfort and for some reason concluding that that was the Harper he was concerned about.

Damian bristled at being addressed "kiddo" but decided it wasn't worth commenting on. The dinner was awkward enough as is. He nodded at Ollie, and then started poking at his meal.

"Sorry about the rabbit food," Hal said. "This one's a vegetarian, so when we have him over we're all vegetarians by default." He motioned towards Connor. "Otherwise I always forget and accidentally sneak chicken broth into something that appears meat free."

Ollie laughed. "Remember Christmas last year? Poor kid ate a whole heap of your mashed potatoes and then he was on the toilet for hours!"

"Yeah Dad…that's just, just great dinner time conversation," Connor said with a strained smile. He looked towards Damian and spoke in a low enough voice that it wouldn't carry to the older heroes.. "Sorry about him. It's best to just overlook the rough edges."

"I'm starting to see where Lian's father gets his, er, more charming characteristics."

"I think my father only accentuated what was already there in Roy."

Damian nodded, and decided he liked Lian's uncle. The mention of Connor's vegetarianism reminded him that he wanted to find out what kind of sitting practice the man did. "Lian mentioned that you're a Buddhist. Are you Mahayanist?"

Connor frowned, seemingly thrown by the question. "I believe the sect I was raised in referred to themselves as Hinayanist, but for all intents and purposes I define myself as Zen."

Damian was startled by that. "Hinayanist? Really? They actually called themselves that."

"Well, it just means Greater Vehicle. Actually, I thought the title a bit too arrogant-"

"Hinayana means lesser vehicle, and it's derogatory. Practitioners refer to themselves as Theravadins. Mahayana means Greater Vehicle, and they're the ones who use Hinayana. Clearly the people who raised you weren't terribly knowledgeable about their own practice," Damian said, derision entering into his tone.

Connor was starting to look a little uncomfortable. "Look, all I know is, my current private practice is Zen based."

"So you're Mahayanist?"

"By your own explanation, aren't I Theravadin?" Connor returned, sounding a bit frustrated.

Damian frowned, confused. "No, because Theravadin Buddhism is geographically spread along southeastern Asia and holds the belief that Enlightenment must be attained. It focuses on the Pali canon and has a different cosmology and understanding of the role of Bodhisattvas from Mahayanist Buddhism. Mahayanist Buddhism is geographically distributed amongst northeastern Asia, including Japan, and believes that all beings have the capacity for Enlightenment and must strip away to get to their own Enlightened nature. It has a comparatively complex Boddhisattva system."

"Bodhi…" Connor looked completely thrown.

Damian wondered if the seemingly pleasant young man was making fun of him somehow. "Zen Buddhism, or Chan in Chinese, is Mahayanist. So if you practice Zen then you're Mahayanist, and your sitting practice is atrocious."

Connor chewed his lip, then tried one more time to make his personal beliefs fit into Damian's lecture. "Well at the ashram I was raised at-"

That was as far as he got before Damian interrupted him, sure that Connor was mocking him somehow. "Look, I expressed a genuine interest in your religious path because I find it interesting. I'd really prefer it if you'd show me the respect I think I'm entitled to as a guest."

"I…I'm not sure I understand. Damian, I'm not behaving disrespectfully towards you."

"But if that's the case then you don't know anything about Buddhism!" Damian exploded.

That got Hal and Ollie's attention too. "What are you on about?" Ollie asked.

Damian rolled his eyes. "Ashrams are Hindu! Buddhists live in communities called Sanghas. If you were truly raised among Buddhists, that seems like the sort of information you'd pick up. And another thing, they don't make it a habit to take in stray children either. They're not orphanages, so I don't know what kind of establishment you were left with…" Damian rambled to a close, since Connor had calmly risen to his feet.

"Actually, now I am a little curious about what kind of establishment my father abandoned me to."

"Connor, hey, wait a minute!" Ollie yelled, but Connor darted out of the room and a moment later the front door slammed behind him.

Hal and Ollie were both staring at Damian, Hal gaping in shock and Ollie glaring.

"Thanks for ruining dinner you little prick." Ollie jumped up and stormed out of the room.

Hal calmly continued eating as though nothing had happened.

"Er…should I excuse myself?" Damian asked.

"If you want to. Don't worry about it kid. This is usually how these family dinners go around here."

"Ah. Well then, er, excuse me."

Damian went upstairs to the guest room, fished his cell phone out of his pocket, and called his father, prepared to beg for an emergency ride back to Gotham if need be.

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Roy skulked back into Ollie and Hal's a few hours after Damian's abrupt departure via private jet (again, it was good to be a billionaire). He tried knocking on Lian's door, but she ignored him, so he went downstairs to have it out with Ollie.

To his surprise, his former guardian was downright calm and reasonable. Unbeknownst to Roy, Ollie was far too distracted by his own issues with his own child to pay any attention to his adoptive child.

Lian and Roy were supposed to be visiting for the next couple of weeks. It was summer vacation, and Ollie had spent weeks wheedling Roy for the visit, and planning exciting trips out for his granddaughter for almost every day of the visit, including a drive to Anaheim for Disneyland. Roy felt like he'd just ruin the visit for everyone, so he asked Ollie if he'd mind if Roy took off and left Lian there to visit on her own.

"Yeah kid, that's fine. Hey Roy, take care of yourself, okay?"

Nodding, Roy went upstairs to try saying goodbye to Lian one more time. He opened the door a crack, and saw her sitting on her bed with her headphones on, a steely glare fixed on her laptop screen. Sighing, he closed the door and left to get a flight back to Keystone.

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Roy was in his living room when he heard (or rather, didn't hear) the gentle humming of his security system quietly go dead. If he'd been asleep at two in the morning, which the intruder no doubt expected him to be, he wouldn't have noticed anything amiss.

As it was, he'd been lounging on the couch in his boxers, watching Adult Swim and chatting with Grace on facebook. He closed the laptop but kept the TV on, and crept upstairs as silently as he was able.

Three minutes later, Roy edged around the side of his house, sporting his robotic arm and drawing a mid-size fiberglass bow. The intruder had her claws raised, ready to strike, poised less than a foot away.

They both lowered their weapons upon identifying the other, and Roy breathed a sigh of relief.

"You know Jade, there are ways to contact me without making me think I'm under attack."

"I'm not here to see you," she snapped. Her eyes quickly raked him over, lingering on his abs and the ginger happy trail that dipped into his boxers. He quirked an eyebrow. "Though you have a knack for displaying yourself, should I change my mind. I'm here to check up on our daughter."

"I figured. C'mon inside. I'll throw some clothes on if you'd prefer."

"I think I'll manage to control my feminine urges either way," she sneered.

Roy let them into the kitchen, but went upstairs to remove the fake arm and grab a bathrobe, despite Jade's seeming disinterest. He felt some tension, even if she said she didn't. When he got back to the kitchen she was sitting at the table with two mugs in front of her, and the tea kettle was warming on the stove. Roy grabbed the green tea from the cabinet and hovered by the stove, waiting for the water.

"So how long have you been breaking in here?" he asked.

"Since you moved to Keystone City. It really shouldn't have taken you this long to notice me Roy. I find that troubling."

He scowled. "I noticed the regular shut offs in our security system, but I figured it was you. And whatever everyone else thinks, I know you'd never hurt her. Intentionally, anyway."

Jade glared at him. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"You know what I mean," Roy all but growled. "That stunt you pulled after she was res'd-"

"I didn't even touch her."

"You traumatized her Jade! And you killed her only friends at that school."

"Well they were weak, weren't they? With our enemies, they never would have survived to become truly close with her, now would they?"

"Our enemies?"

Jade slammed her hands on the table. "Yes Roy, our enemies. Or do you think Prometheus had a quarrel with me? He attacked the Justice League and all their loved ones, not the assassin."

For a long, tense moment, the former lovers simply glared at each other, sure that if they moved it would be to fight. Then the tea kettle whistled and Roy was able to busy himself for a few needed minutes. By the time their tea had steeped and he'd sat down across from Jade, he was fully composed.

"She's sleeping out tonight," Roy informed her, voice heavy and guarded.

"Ah." Jade looked disappointed. She frowned, then looked up at Roy with a softened expression. "She seems to be flourishing since the move. The last time I was here I went through her notebooks and read her some of her schoolwork, and the notes from her friends and admirers. She's very happy, isn't she?"

Roy nodded. "And smart. Really smart, actually. I can't even help her with her homework anymore."

Jade smirked. "Somehow I'm not surprised."

"I call shenanigans. You of all people know I'm not dumb."

Jade ever so slightly inclined her head, hard green eyes shining with amusement. "I know. And…you are doing well with her. You have my gratitude for that." She broke eye contact, glance directed in the vicinity of the fridge but not really focusing on it, even though it was littered with snapshots of her beloved daughter. "I knew she'd be happier with you."

That one hit Roy hard. He remembered the first time they'd had this discussion, back when Jade had been living in China and Roy had desperately tracked her down, only knowing that they had a four month old baby together.

She could have gone back to the States with him. At that point, when supervillains reformed superheroes treated them with tentative friendliness instead of cynicism and suspicion. They hadn't yet doubted supervillains' capacity for change.

Roy vividly remembered standing over Lian's crib, feeling so much fear and crushing responsibility, and knowing that he couldn't keep that fragile little bundle safe without a lot of help. Mixed with all that had been awe though. He and Jade had created that little girl.

He'd seen Lian as proof that Jade had loved him, for at least one night anyway, and he'd proposed. They could have raised Lian together and had a family. Had what the damn smug speedsters all seemed to have…

But it wasn't worth bringing any of that up again. It was fourteen years too late to change anything, and besides that, it was painful.

"So I heard you're working with Harley Quinn now?" Roy asked, by way of changing the subject. Jade groaned and carefully massaged her temple with one long fingered hand. Roy laughed. "How's that working out for you?"

"She was obviously not the draw to the collaboration."

"Mm. Poison Ivy then?"

Jade shrugged. "What can I say? I have a weakness for redheads."

Roy's eyebrows shot up at that one. "Wait, you gals aren't just working together?"

Jade grinned. "Jealous?"

He snorted. "I've never been quite that suicidal, thanks. Hot though she may be, that woman is a bucket of crazy and a bit too kill-happy for my taste."

"She's a man-hater. She treats her female lovers much better. From what I've seen, you're back with an old flame. You and your brunettes…"

He shrugged. "I'm not especially partial to hair color, that's just coincidence."

"Ah. Excuse me for falsely attributing some sort of standards to you."

Roy winked at her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Still though Roy…the ex-boy wonder? Are you sure you've thought this through?"

"No offense, but the lady sleeping with Poison Ivy really isn't in a place to judge. And what's wrong with Nightwing anyway? He's one of my oldest and closest friends, and besides that, Lian likes him."

"He's just…complicated. And might I remind you, my relationships aren't serving as a model for Lian. She's a teenager now Roy. She's going to start dating soon, and whether you want the responsibility or not, she's going to judge romantic norms by your actions."

"She isn't necessarily-"

"She's already got admirers. It's only a matter of time, unless you want me to assassinate them all. There's not much we can do about it."

Roy sighed. "I know. I can scare them a little when they pick her up though."

"It would be easier if she weren't so pretty." Jade rested her chin on her hands. "By the way darling, you need to take her bra shopping."

"I what?" Roy started, and almost spilled his tea.

Jade laughed. "She takes after me, and those training bras just aren't going to cut it anymore. She's at least a B now, if not a C. Roy, she needs real bras, with support, and where I can't take her-"

Roy groaned. "I don't want to pick out lingerie for my little girl."

"Well I guess you should have thought of that when you slept with a 34DD."

"I was barely nineteen and naked in bed with a 34DD. What makes you think I was capable of thought beyond the Hallelujah chorus?"

"Ever the charmer." Jade rose to her feet and brought her mug to the sink. Roy walked her to the back door, and even though she stepped out into the yard she didn't disappear just yet. Finally she spoke again. "Roy…Quinn told me about your meeting. More specifically, how you crushed her windpipe for mentioning Lian."

Roy had the decency to look embarrassed. "I got a little freaked. I wasn't aware that many villains even knew I had a kid."

"I am careful with the information I divulge, but people are aware that I reproduced. Most don't know who with, and very few know that Lian was killed and resurrected. Harley knows about Lian because for some odd reason…I trust her. She's very genuine, for a costumed criminal."

Roy narrowed his eyes at her. "She's the Joker's ex-girlfriend."

"Yes…she's also quite a bit more than that. At any rate, Harley and Ivy have received strong words and graphic descriptions of what will happen to them should anything happen to you or Lian."

"Oh, you threw me in there too?" Roy asked with a smirk. "Well someone needs to look after her while you're skulking around in the shadows, and it might as well be me."

"I do have a certain amount of respect for our past."

And there was that flicker of chemistry again. Roy did his best to hold eye contact with her, trying to be defiant, but he knew she'd be able to read him as well as ever. Jade dropped her gaze first, eyes resting on his mouth before descending lower, to his throat, to the opening in the bathrobe and his bare torso. Unthinkingly, Roy leaned forward, and Jade pulled away.

"Sorry Roy, but being bisexual doesn't entitle you to a boyfriend and a girlfriend."

Roy laughed, but it was an empty sound. "What are you saying Jade?"

"Dump Nightwing and I might explain it to you." She blew him a kiss, and then with a few long strides she was out of sight.

Roy powered the security system back up and went inside, hoping there was something decent on TV because his restless mind damn well wasn't going to let him sleep after that.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Roy's commitment issues start acting up again...

Chapter Twenty

Damian was a little surprised to be met at the airport by his father. Normally the butler performed menial tasks such as transportation (he even had a separate uniform for it). Shrugging it off, Damian hefted his bag up and went to join Bruce, who would have been completely obscured by a mob of hangers-on with cameras and smart phones if it weren't for his impressive height (thus Pennyworth normally providing transportation and not the tall, striking, and incredibly famous bachelor).

Damian muttered something darkly under his breath. It looked like some of the hangers-on were opportunistic paparazzi. He hated those vultures, possibly more than anyone else in his family.

He shrugged his way through the crowd until he managed to get to Bruce's side. "Hello Father."

"Hello Damian. Ready to go?"

Damian winced as nearly everyone in the small crowd took a picture of the famous father and son simultaneously. He really didn't understand the American obsession with the disproportionately wealthy. If everyone knew Bruce Wayne was really Batman, then that would be different. Their obsession with him would be a mark of their devotion to his noble self-sacrifice. But Bruce Wayne was best known for his deceptive public buffoonery and scandalous affairs with socialites and heiresses (and of course, the speculative gossip about the true nature of his relationship to his former legal ward). Damian just couldn't understand what entranced people so about reading the exploits of a billionaire behaving like a scoundrel.

Much as he hated his father's cover story, it was an effective ruse, so he couldn't really complain. But he'd never be able to perpetuate it when he became head of the family.

"Bruce! Oh Brucie, is that your son? Where was he?"

"Why was he travelling alone?"

"Hey Damian, do you have a lady friend yet?"

"Are the rumors about you and that gymnast true?"

Damian shot a pleading look at his father and his completely natural looking (but completely fake) smile. "We are leaving, aren't we?"

"Of course. Excuse me folks." Bruce nodded at them, took one of Damian's bags, and helped him force a path to the exit. The hangers-on followed, but Bruce only acknowledged them with that same bland smile and some insincere courtesy. Damian didn't feel comfortable until they were in the car, with doors securely shut and locked.

"Why didn't Pennyworth pick me up? We rarely attract that kind of attention without you," Damian asked, a note of accusation creeping into his tone.

"I think I managed to keep the spectacle to a minimum. That was for your benefit."

Damian glanced out the window at the mob of photographers. "The contained spectacle is still a bit much for me. I get the feeling these cretins would delight in watching you fold laundry."

Bruce smirked. "I've never folded laundry in my life. For all we know, it might be amusing."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and then Damian realized Bruce hadn't actually answered his question. "Is Pennyworth alright?"

"Yes, Alfred's fine. I picked you up because I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh." That was not promising. "What about?"

"A call I got from Oliver Queen. I've been told you made Connor Hawke aware of the true nature of his childhood home."

Damian pressed his lips together and took efforts to keep his composure. He was sure that he was being challenged somehow, but he still didn't really understand how he'd misbehaved. "I was simply inquiring after Connor's meditation practice. I hadn't meant to make him uncomfortable. I still don't really understand what happened."

Bruce sighed. "Oliver was very young when his son was born, and not at all prepared for fatherhood. He thought it best to leave Connor with people he trusted rather than attempt raising the child himself."

"Yes, I'd heard. Though considering the mess Queen made of Harper's adolescence, perhaps Connor should be grateful."

"Saying it like that isn't fair to any of them," Bruce admonished. Then a thin smile formed on his lips. "But I do agree with you. Ollie wasn't any better prepared when he took Roy in, and that boy needed a lot of help. At any rate, I'm sure you'd heard that Oliver left Connor with a 'Buddhist ashram'. It was actually a cult that preyed on the wealthy and the gullible."

Damian turned in his seat to face Bruce, blinking rapidly with a troubled countenance as he processed that. "Excuse me father, I must not have heard you correctly. Mr. Queen left his son with a cult?"

"Yes. Obviously he didn't know that, and neither did anyone else. I didn't piece it together myself until Tim started spending time with Connor. He noticed the same inconsistencies in Connor's meditation practice and understanding of Buddhist philosophy that you must have picked up on."

"And he just let it go?" Damian asked with a sneer. "I thought Connor and Drake were friends."

"They are. Tim came to me, and we investigated on our own. Ultimately, we concluded that there was no harm in the situation as it stood. The cult had already taken as much of Oliver's money as they were going to, and Connor's flawed understanding of a variety of Asian philosophical and religious schools melded together was a source of comfort to him. We determined that revealing the truth would only bring him emotional distress."

"Oh." Damian frowned as the full weight of Bruce's words hit him. "I wronged him, didn't I?"

"Perhaps. Where he was particularly devoted to his false identity, perhaps it was wrong for us to allow him to live in ignorance. Either way, it doesn't seem like the act was intentional on your part," Bruce said, and Damian started to feel better. He killed that with his next utterance. "For that I'm grateful."

So Bruce was concerned because he figured Damian must have purposefully hurt Connor Hawke. The things his father thought Damian capable of were very disheartening. He already knew Bruce thought he'd trifled with Jai's affections.

Again, Damian gazed disinterestedly out the window. "Was that all?"

"Not quite. There's the matter of that gymnast I've been hearing so much about."

Damian snorted and rolled his eyes, but the comment did break some of the tension. "I'm actually not sure who the media has decided I'm secretly engaged to this time. I believe this one is Russian though."

"Ah. Well if you'd like to actually meet the girl, I'm sure I could arrange something."

"Don't you dare."

Bruce merely chuckled, and Damian concluded that his father, the butler, and Grayson were conspiring against him again. He made a mental note to prepare excuses from any and all social obligation events in the near future.

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Ollie knocked on Lian's bedroom door so tentatively that he was reasonably sure the girl couldn't have heard him. However, he was answered with a meek, "Come in."

She was lying on her bed with a book open in front of her, headphones nearby but not in use.

"Hey Princess." Ollie crossed the room and seated himself on her desk chair. "How you holding up kiddo?"

"Okay, I guess. Um…Daddy hasn't come back or called or anything, has he?"

Ollie shook his head. "I don't think he's coming back until he picks you up to bring you home. When he went back to Keystone, he said he didn't want to bring you down during your visit. Doesn't look like he accomplished that goal though."

Lian chewed at her lip, then wiped at her face with the heel of her hand. "I said something really awful, and he left before I calmed down enough to apologize."

"I'm sorry Princess. Want me to drag him back out here? Me and Hal can leave as soon as you say the word."

"That's okay Grandpa. Thank you though."

Ollie leaned over and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Just let me know if you need anything. I'm gonna go downstairs and make us some lunch."

"Alright. I'll be down in a little while."

Ollie left the room, gently closing the door behind him, and Lian turned back to the book she'd grabbed from the shelf in the guest room; Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death.

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"Alright, what's wrong now?" Dick leaned up, hard blue eyes fixed on Roy in a challenging expression. As Roy had been making out with the gorgeous acrobat and hadn't at all expected the removal of said gorgeous acrobat from his single-armed embrace, at first all he could do was stare at the man without comprehension.

"Huhzzah?"

"Harper, we've been sucking face for like twenty minutes, and you haven't made a single move to get my pants off. What's going on?" And, after a brief pause, "and where's your daughter?" It's not like Dick usually saw a lot of the girl when he showed up at the Harper residence at night, but she normally greeted him before disappearing into her room with her headphones (and they usually had good conversations at breakfast that were only a little awkward).

"Lian's staying with Ollie. You know if you wanted to take your pants off, you never have to wait for me."

Dick narrowed his eyes. "I don't go through the motions with you Roy, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't with me. Now will you just spit it out? What the hell happened that's got you so lost in your head that I've got to work at seducing you?"

Roy heaved a heavy sigh, scrubbed his hand through his hair, then also sat up and joined Dick in leaning against the headboard. Even though he was obviously irritated at being caught hiding some baggage from his boyfriend, he was equally amused at the unintentional hints that clued Dick in. "I'm sorry."

If anything, the apology was more discomfiting than the avoidance. "You just…you apologized for being insensitive? You're kind of scaring me. I was only away on my case for a couple days. What the hell happened while I was gone?"

Roy started to speak, but he broke eye contact with Dick. "I…I got into a fight with Lian. It got pretty nasty, actually. And before I even started recovering from that, Jade came by and-"

"Cheshire was here?" Dick yelped, looking panicked. He jumped to his feet and started tearing through the room, all anxious energy. "Why didn't you tell the League? Has anyone been by to check for toxins? Fuck, we could be breathing something in right now! We could-"

Roy refrained from literally smacking sense into his boyfriend, but it looked to be a near thing. "Will you take it down a notch? Christ Dick, Jade is Lian's mother. She drops by every now and then, and we talk about our daughter together. You don't have to look under all my shit for hidden poisons."

"She's also a murderous psychopath who tried to kill your daughter."

Roy took an impatient breath that didn't do as much by way of calming him down as he'd hoped. "She was testing me to see if I could keep Lian alive this time."

"And you believe that bullshit? Also, how is that supposed to be any more comforting?"

"Dick, let it go. This has nothing to do with you."

Dick's face was set in anger. For a moment, a terrifying one for Roy, Dick started to move towards the bedroom door. Then he suddenly whipped around and stalked back to the bed. He sat down on the end and took a long, deep breath before he spoke again, hands clenched on his knees.

"Look, I'm not trying to judge you. I just get worried about Lian too. And I haven't ever seen any redeeming qualities in Cheshire…but I suppose you know something about her that most people don't."

Roy nodded, some warmth spreading through him at Dick's words. He was so grateful that Dick didn't just tolerate the fact that he had a daughter (like Grace), and that he'd never overstepped his bounds trying to co-parent Lian before they were ready for a surrogate-parent (like Donna). Dick walked the line so gracefully, and Lian actually wanted him in their family as much as Roy did.

Dick edged a little closer to him and tentatively re-established physical contact by threading his fingers through Roy's. "You really think Cheshire won't hurt her?"

Roy nodded. "Never on purpose. Jade is really fucked up. I know I have to be careful about her, but…I know her. I know she wants the best for Lian, even if she can't always tell what that is."

"Okay. I'll try to be more sensitive."

Roy gave Dick a quick kiss, and some of the tension he'd been carrying started to lessen.

"So before I flipped out and started checking your room for concealed poisons you were trying to tell me what you and Cheshire were talking about?" Dick asked, tone light and playful. It still wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. Roy had a lot he needed to get straightened out before he was going to feel enough peace of mind to just enjoy their time together.

"Urgh…yeah, so we both realized that Li's probably going to start dating soon. And Jade pointed out that…that she's going to use my relationships as a model, since she hasn't really seen much else. I can't stop thinking about it. I don't think I've done a good job so far. I mean, when she was a kid I never showed her a really stable, healthy relationship, y'know? The ideas she must have about love…"

Roy had been thinking about Cheshire, and how he'd spectacularly flamed out with Donna, and then all of those hookups that Lian had noticed despite his best efforts. He was fully aware that his past with Dick was complicated and riddled with drama, but Lian hadn't seen that. All she'd seen was the glorious present, where they were communicating with each other, and supporting each other, and making damn sure the other knew how devoted they each were. The present was fantastic, and Roy had never been happier with anyone.

But that wasn't what he said, and it certainly wasn't what Dick heard.

Dick pulled away, and shifted back to the end of the bed. "So what, you're afraid that dating an unstable Bat is going to damage your innocent little girl?"

"What?"

"What are you saying Roy?" Dick spat. "That you think Lian likes Damian because she's seen how unhealthy we are together, and she finds that enticing? That I'm so terrible for you I'm fucking up your kid? I've been trying my best to help your daughter, but one cheap shot from the psycho who ripped your heart out and only ever puts you through hell, and suddenly I'm a bad partner who's screwing up your kid's ideas about love? Fuck you!" He stood to leave, but Roy grabbed his wrist.

"Dick, wait-"

"Fuck you! Let go!"

"No, listen to me-"

And then Dick punched him. Roy dropped his wrist so he could guard for another hit, and Dick made a break for it. Roy tackled him in the hallway, and they hit and kicked at each other, rolling closer and closer to the staircase…

They tumbled to a heap at the bottom, groaning and panting for breath. After a few minutes of pained exhalations, Roy gasped something out. "I didn't mean you, you stupid shit. God my spine hurts."

With another groan, Dick managed to sit up. His lip was bleeding and there was a nasty bruise blooming on his forehead (of course, it was easily obscured by thick dark hair falling into his eyes in an unnaturally perfect and becoming manner). "You weren't?"

"Didn't occur to me for a second. Everyone else seems to think we're awful together, but I don't know what relationship they're looking at." Roy sat up and gingerly patted at his ribs. "If Lian ever finds anyone who makes her even half as happy as you make me, I'll know I've done my job."

Dick smirked. "I think that's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me. And you said it after busting my lip."

"Yeah, well, that's us. I do love you though. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like…it really just didn't occur to me."

Dick laughed, then leaned against Roy's back and threw his arms around him. He pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. "Well one of us is definitely an idiot. I love you too."

Roy's eyes drifted shut, a huge smile on his face. "I'm so glad you tell me that now."

"I've…gotten past some issues."

"I noticed." Roy placed his hand over where Dick's were clasped against his chest. He still had a lot he wanted to talk to Dick about, but it wasn't as pressing, and it wasn't distracting him anymore with its weight. "So I think I'm ready to get you out of your pants now."

Dick threw his head back with his laughter. "You're sure? Right now, on the stairwell?"

"Lian's not coming home for a few more days. And we haven't done it here yet."

Dick planted a kiss on Roy's neck, raising goose bumps. "Is the goal the entire house then?"

"Well, not Lian's bedroom. That'd just be weird."

"Ah. In that case, we need to fuck in your pantry too, and then I think we're all set."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roy wasn't really sure what to expect when he went back to Ollie and Hal's to pick up Lian. The Watchtower was teleporting him to Coast City, and from there he and Lian would fly back to Keystone-he was picking her up in that she didn't want to fly alone. He was, however, fresh from a team-up with Grace, Thunder, Gar and Vic (an odd, but not unpleasant combination, and really he'd worked with more eclectic teams), and sporting some obvious bruising from it.

Which was actually a little convenient, because Dick had banged him up pretty good during their fight in the stairwell (and there was some carpet burn from subsequent activities), and the meta battle in downtown San Francisco was a wonderful cover story for that.

"Geeze kid, what the hell happened to you? You forget how to block or something?" Ollie asked, upon catching sight of Roy.

He rolled his eyes, but the action was hidden from view by his red tinted aviator sunglasses. "We were outnumbered and I was the only guy present without superpowers. Considering, I think we did pretty good."

"Yeah, well your little girl might not agree with you."

"I'll be fine. And Lian's seen me in worse shape. Uh…how is she?"

Ollie shut the door behind him, and scrubbed a hand through his thinning yellow hair. "I'm not really sure. She's been quiet as hell since you left. I checked up on her a whole lot, and so did Connor, but she said she just wanted some time alone to think things over."

"Oh." Roy frowned, guilt churning in the pit of his stomach. "You guys didn't go to Disney then?"

Ollie shook his head. "You guys'll have to come back, and we can all hit up the hap-happiest monument to mindless consumerism together."

Biting back a comment about Ollie's hypocrisy, Roy went upstairs to get his daughter. He found her sitting on her bed with a sketchbook. When he knocked on the open door, she looked up with a very subdued smile from how they usually greeted each other after a period of absence, but the fact that it was there at all was encouraging. "Hi Daddy."

"Hey Peanut. Ready to get going?"

"Yeah, just let me put my sketchbook away."

Roy hovered in the doorway uncertainly, knowing that he didn't want to pretend nothing had happened, but not sure how to address it. And then Lian beat him to it. As soon as she zipped up her backpack she bounded across the room and threw her arms around him.

"I really missed you Daddy. You shouldn't have left."

"I…I wasn't going to make anything better by staying," Roy said.

Lian looked up at him with a 'don't bullshit me' expression, and he had the decency to look a bit embarrassed. He'd run away, and they both knew it.

"I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean for it to come out the way it did. I just…look, I don't blame you for not being there. I know you were fighting somewhere else, and I know that protecting me always comes first. So it wasn't your fault. But it wasn't Mia's either. If it had been you in the house instead of her, I'd still have died. All I was trying to say was that you didn't see what happened. She tried to get to me, but she couldn't."

Roy brushed her hair back, a sad smile on his face. "I'll talk to Mia."

"Promise?"

"Yes. I've…let this go for too long. I knew all that, it just…it was a suck situation." Holding onto his anger at Mia was the last thing he'd had to keep from feeling completely responsible for the preventable death of his only child.

Lian frowned. "Daddy, only the guys who destroyed all the buildings were responsible. And I assume they're rotting in jail for it, right? And I'm back now so what does it matter anyway?"

Roy took in a shaky breath, tried to smile reassuringly, and steered her towards the stairwell. "As usual Peanut, you are completely right."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So you and James fizzled out already?"

"If I thought I could land the hit, I'd have smacked you upside the head for that."

Wally looked at Piper blankly, and he sighed. He had to face the fact that by this point, Wally was probably just never going to learn tact when it came to discussing personal issues. He skipped over lecturing Wally on what he'd done wrong and just told him what he wanted to know. "James broke up with me a few weeks ago. Well…breaking up isn't the right word, since we didn't actually start dating again."

"Oh. Well that sucks. Sorry to hear it."

Piper smirked. "No you're not. You and Linda both told me it was a horrible idea to start dating him again."

"Well yeah. I mean, he dumps you for no reason kind of a lot."

Piper scowled. "Twice!"

"Once would be too much if he really cared about you. I think you dodged a bullet dude."

That was certainly a fair point.

The two old friends were sitting on Wally's porch, unwinding after saving the downtown Central City branch of a particularly notorious bank for the third time that month. The first two had been run of the mill robberies, but this time they'd been targeted by extremists who'd tried to blow it up as an attack on the one percent.

Piper had been aware of everyone's eyes flicking to him a bit more often than usual during the fight's aftermath, but honestly, even though he'd practically trademarked railing against the one percent during his early costumed days, he hadn't hesitated for a second to bring in the criminals. When it came to attacking innocent bystanders, Piper felt no uncertainty, even if he agreed with the bad guys on other ideological points.

Piper was actually grateful that Wally was prying about his love life instead of checking how much he sympathized with the terrorists. Still though, might as well have some fun with the guy. "So how's your friend doing? Is Dick still happy with his boyfriend?"

Wally choked on a sip of his soda. "Dude!" he croaked. "You're not seriously thinking of going after him, are you?"

Piper laughed. "Come on Wally, I barely know him." Wally's startled reaction was intriguing though. "Why? He's not actually single, is he?"

"Nope. Still miserably smitten with an asshole."

That got Piper's attention. "You don't…like Dick's boyfriend?"

"I don't wanna get into this with you too. Dick's already told me off for being an ass to the guy. But I swear, he was an ass first." For whatever reason, Wally unconsciously rubbed at his jaw. "Uh, so new subject. Jai's getting out of the hospital this week. He wants to sleep over your place Saturday."

"Is that okay? You and Linda wouldn't mind?" Piper asked, hopeful but sure that Jai's family would want to see him.

"He's getting out Wednesday. I'm sure me and Linda can reassure ourselves that we haven't really lost him by then. Besides, I think you guys' friendship is really good for him."

Piper smiled. "Thanks Wally. I'll do my best to help."

"I know dude." Then his face fell as a car pulled up to the curb. "Speak of the fucking devil."

Piper turned towards the car, a bit surprised and confusing Wally's meaning, half-expecting Jai to be hopping out onto the curb. But it was an attractive man about Wally's age, with shaggy red hair and rather douchey aviator sunglasses. Piper's eyes quickly raked over the man's muscular body, lingering on the empty shirt sleeve pinned up on one side, and again at the rear view of his slightly too tight (but that was completely okay) jeans. "Who's that?"

"Roy," Wally spat out under his breath. When the guy approached him he smiled in that fake way Piper usually saw him adopt around his in-laws, that 'I'm completely miserable but for some reason I think this obviously uncomfortable smile will keep you from noticing' one. "Hey dude. What brings you by?"

"Lian just got home from Ollie's. She said she needs to get a start on her summer reading, but she left some books in Irey's room." Roy paused, and for a minute Piper was sure the man was looking at him, but it was impossible to tell for certain with the aviators hiding his eyes. "Is it cool if I run upstairs and get them?"

Wally shook his head. "Irey's out with Bart, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't want a stranger rummaging around in her room."

"I'm not a-"

"Well, not her family, anyway," Wally amended.

"Look, Lian's flipping out. I don't wanna go buy the books again." Roy was starting to look agitated.

As was Wally. "It's barely July. Doesn't she have two months to do this?"

"She likes to read the books once through for enjoyment, then again to write the paper. And since my kid is in the honors program, she has more books to read than your kids."

Wally's face colored as his expression soured. Piper had been about to volunteer to get the books himself, since he knew he was perfectly welcome in Irey's room, but he decided the exchange was too interesting to interrupt.

However, there was another audience member for the bitter exchange, and she didn't seem as amused by it as Piper. Linda slammed the front door open, a scowl on her pretty face. It looked like she'd been tidying up the front hallway when she'd heard the passive aggressive bickering, based on her pink rubber gloves and the kerchief holding her hair out of her eyes. "I'll just get the damn books."

"Thanks Linda. She's reading 1984, Siddhartha-"

"Trust me Roy, I'll be able to spot any books that don't belong in my daughter's room." With that, Linda trudged up the stairs.

Roy leaned against the porch railing, looking nearly as uncomfortable as Wally (but much sexier in his sulking). Piper wasn't sure what to say, so he remained silent. After a few minutes though, he started to feel a different sort of tension from what Wally was experiencing.

Because after a minute or so of scowling in Wally's direction, Roy had turned his gaze more towards Piper, and it was clear that he very much had been checking Piper out, as he was continuing to do so. Hoping that his face didn't look as warm as it felt, Piper tried to think of something suave to say, but all he could think of was how many times he'd been brushed off, even before the fiasco with James. Confidence shot to hell, he silently watched the other man watching him.

He jumped, startled, when Linda walked onto the porch with the books. "Here you go Roy. And tell Lian I really appreciate her helping Irey with her own summer reading. Those outlines she made for her really helped her write the papers."

"She already finished?" Wally asked.

Linda pointedly nodded, then smiled sweetly at Roy. He smirked in obvious satisfaction. "Sure thing. See you guys around." With one last leer Piper's way, he turned and left.

"Huh." Linda narrowed her eyes, turning a curious expression towards Piper. "Is it just me, or was he checking you out?"

That got an actual spit take from Wally. With a laugh, Linda reached into the front hall and brought out a roll of paper towels. She handed them to her husband, still chuckling under her breath.

"I kind of thought he was. Did you think he was straight or something?" Piper asked. "Who is he, anyway?"

"Dick's boyfriend," Wally said with a cough.

"Yeah," Linda said with a frown. "They didn't break up or something, did they?"

"Nope," Wally said. "They are very much still together, which means that Piper, since Roy's clearly attracted to you, you should avoid both of them so you don't accidentally become a home wrecker-"

Piper jumped in over Wally's nervous babbling. "Dick asked me to do a threesome with them."

"Ah." Linda started laughing again, while Wally swore.

"I'd thought he was kidding."

"Oh. Yeah, no hon. Dick doesn't joke about that." Linda squeezed his shoulder, all mirth. "Looks like Roy's thinking about it."

"Looks like." With feigned indignation, Piper turned towards Wally. "So that's two gorgeous bisexual acquaintances you had that you never introduced me to?"

"I guess."

"You're a terrible friend Wally."

"If you knew him better you'd be glad you never dated him!" Wally insisted.

"Who said Piper's thinking about dating either one of them?" Linda asked. "Now sexing-"

"I'm going inside!" Wally slammed the door on Piper and Linda's giggles.

Linda put a hand over her mouth, calming her mirth. "So are you thinking of going for it Hartley?"

"If they're serious…?" He shrugged. "At my age, I'm probably never going to get an opportunity like this again."

Meanwhile Roy pulled his car back onto the street smiling in satisfaction.

He'd been parked far enough away that he couldn't actually hear the conversation, but he could read lips. He decided that once he got home and dropped Lian's books off, he'd have to give his soon to be very pleased boyfriend a call.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Knowing that he was going to get extended alone-time with Jai was the only thing that kept Piper from stalking the West house on Wednesday. He figured the family would want their privacy after retrieving their son from the hospital, and respectfully gave them space.

He did drive by the house a few times though, and concluded that few others had had the same thought. Throughout the day he saw Iris and Barry's cars, Bart speed-pacing on the front porch (the hyper young man still hadn't bought his own vehicle, citing it as a pointless expense), Mrs. Garrick leaving the house with a tinfoil covered casserole dish, and even Jesse Quick's company car.

He decided to stop finding excuses to drive down their street when he almost ran into Chester Runk. Piper and Chunk hadn't really gotten along to begin with, and that was cemented when Wally seemed to choose Piper as his replacement best friend/crime fighting collaborator. Chunk thought it was Piper's fault, that Piper had somehow poisoned Wally's mind against him. Piper thought it much more likely that Chunk stealing Wally's girlfriend had something to do with Wally's sudden desire to avoid the guy though.

He kept his distance, and Saturday evening he finally approached the house, hopeful but also a bit anxious to see how Jai was doing.

Irey, at least, was in good spirits. She flung the door open, a wide smile on her pretty face. Losing her twin for those long weeks had hit her hard, and it had taken a physical toll on the girl. Having him back seemed to do just the opposite; her complexion had returned to radiance, her green eyes were sparkling, and her hair was neatly brushed and her clothes chosen with more care.

"Hi Uncle Piper!" She gave him a huge hug and then stepped aside to let him enter. "C'mon in! Jai's still upstairs getting ready, but Mom and Dad are in the kitchen." Then she zipped over to the stairwell. "JAI! Move it! Uncle Piper's here!"

"Thanks sweetheart." Piper followed her into the kitchen, where Wally and Linda were sipping coffee by the remnants of a family dinner. "Hey guys."

"Hi Hartley," Linda greeted. She still looked tired, but generally much better than she'd been. Piper guessed trying to sleep at night with a recovering suicidal teen was less than restful-every creak of the old house settling must sound like footsteps creeping towards an implement of self-destruction.

As usual, Wally seemed oblivious to any continued risk, content in the fact that his family was back under one roof.

Piper did a double take when Jai entered the room. He looked fantastic. He'd lost the sickly pallor he'd had at the hospital, and he'd settled into his diminished weight; instead of looking sickly, the teen now looked fetchingly slender. Perhaps having well-fitting clothes and carefully styled hair made the difference.

"Hey Piper," he said with uncharacteristic meekness. He crossed the room and gave Piper a hug that was almost shy.

Linda quirked an eyebrow. "I have to beg, plead and guilt trip for one of those. Nice to see you're willing to hug someone."

Jai's face reddened, but he didn't say whatever he was thinking in response to his mother's well-intentioned teasing. "Can we go now?"

"Of course." Piper said a polite goodbye to his friends, then steered Jai towards his car. "It looks like you've already eaten. Is there anything special you wanted to do tonight?"

"Not really," Jai answered. "I just want to go somewhere and talk."

"Sounds like a plan."

Piper thought it was a good idea to avoid water, though his first instinct was of course to drive to the river (he'd done a lot of riverside chats over the years with his closest friends). They got some coffees from a favorite local café and then drove to a park where, unbeknownst to Jai, Piper had set up a villain base when he'd been in his early twenties. He pointed out the ruins of the base to Jai, and told him a few self-deprecating anecdotes.

"Why'd you pick the park?" Jai asked curiously.

"Lots of space, out of the way, and your great uncle didn't expect it any more than anyone else did."

"Ah."

"So what did you want to talk about?" Piper asked. "Is it about Damian?"

Jai shook his head. "I spent awhile talking about him with the doctors, and I think I'm over it. It seems kinda stupid to keep obsessing over someone who clearly…doesn't want me."

Piper placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's his loss, and I'm sure he'll feel it keenly someday."

"It wasn't a great relationship, really," Jai admitted. "He never felt comfortable around me, and eventually I just stopped trying to get him to that point. Plus he told me from the outset that he was going to dump me for a girl."

"Wh-what? Jai, that's terrible."

"I know. I'd kinda hoped that…that if we were together long enough he'd change his mind, but nope. As soon as his future girlfriend is sixteen he's gonna start going out with her. Because he wants to get married and make babies."

Piper pressed his lips together, trying to think before he spoke, but really there were few things Jai could have said to make him angrier. He finally settled for a choked, "LGBTs can have families."

"I know. But Damian's very traditional."

"And yet not traditional enough to abstain from homosexual behavior entirely. That was very selfish of him Jai. I think you're right not to grieve too strongly for the end of that relationship. It doesn't sound very healthy."

Jai nodded, eyes downcast. "I wish it could have ended differently though. I really liked him."

"Well, there will be other boys. I'm sure you'll find someone to suit you better. You've got a lot of advantages you know."

Jai rolled his eyes. "Of course you think so. You're my fake uncle. You have to say that stuff."

"No, I mean it," Piper insisted. "If I'd met someone like you when I was your age, I'd have been incredibly flattered to get their notice, let alone date them. I'm sure you'll do fine Jai. Just try to avoid closet cases from now on."

Jai scowled. "That's not really an option at my school."

They kept talking about lighter things from there, until eventually the conversation cycled back to Jai's involuntary commitment.

"Can I ask you something Hartley?"

"Of course," Piper answered, a bit surprised to hear Jai addressing him by his name. People did, from time to time, but it was rare. The kids especially preferred to refer to him by his costumed name.

"Were you…did you ever have to stay in one of those places too?"

He should have expected that. Piper took a deep breath, and nodded. "I was at Breedmore much longer than you. You should consider yourself lucky to have sorted yourself out so quickly. It…I was much weaker then."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. I just, well…it's something else we have in common."

"We do have a lot in common, don't we," Piper said, and Jai smiled at the thought. Piper faked a smile in return, but the thought wasn't nearly as pleasing to him.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Piper looked down at his cell and reread the text that included Roy Harper's address for the fifth time. He shifted his weight on his feet back and forth a few times, trying to work out his jitters.

He hadn't actually tried a threesome since he was a teenager, and that one hadn't ended well. He'd unintentionally split up what had been a very happy couple (and while Wally still insisted Dick and Roy weren't, Linda strongly disagreed with her husband and explained that Wally and Roy just rubbed each other the wrong way). Piper didn't think it was incredibly likely that either of the striking younger men would get hung up on him, but he still wanted to be cautious. He decided to feel the situation out, and if it seemed like either Roy or Dick were behaving jealously or possessively then he'd leave.

God but those two were hot. If he didn't give it a shot, he'd only regret it later. Piper's fortieth birthday was looming, and thanks to his particularly stressful existence he looked like he'd passed it some time ago. Opportunities for no-strings fun with breathing erotic fantasies could only be so plentiful for the middle aged (especially when they weren't aging gracefully).

He finally stowed his phone and walked up to Roy's front door, hoping he didn't look as nervous as he felt. Dick answered, looking like sex on legs; he was wearing black slacks with an unbuttoned deep blue work shirt that nicely accentuated his eyes. His wavy black hair was already mussed and his clothes a bit rumpled. If Piper ha to guess, he'd say the boys had started without him.

And he was sure of it when Roy draped himself over Dick's back, hand stroking up and down his boyfriend's hip. Roy was only wearing boxers, and (other than the missing arm) he had the body of sex god. Fuck... 'good choice Hartley'.

"Hey," Dick greeted. "C'mon in."

"Alright."

Piper followed them into the living room, trying not to notice framed pictures of Irey's best friend hanging on the walls. He'd spent some time with Lian without having any idea whose daughter she was while taking the girls to visit Jai at the hospital. This might make future outings with Wally's kids a little uncomfortable.

It was hard to hold onto that thought when he watched Roy flop onto the sofa and pull Dick down onto his lap. Okay, so the behavior was a smidge possessive, which meant Piper was supposed to leave…but it was also fun to watch. And the facial expressions were still inviting. For whatever reason, the guys were still leering at him. Piper wondered how he could possibly interest them, but it wasn't in his favor to question that too much.

It looked like the guys had probably made a day of hanging out while they waited for Piper to get his nerve up and come over. There was a pizza box on the coffee table, and a movie was paused on the television. Articles of Roy's clothing were scattered over the room, along with a jacket and shoes that were probably Dick's. Piper sat down in an armchair across from the unearthly gorgeous couple and awkwardly tapped his hands on his knees. "So, um…hi."

For whatever reason, that had Dick smirking again. "Hey Hartley. How're you doing?"

"Al-alright. Um…you're sure I'm the person you want to do this with?"

Roy snorted. "That's freaking adorable. So you know, Dick's been all about this. Boy's got a kink for redheads, so two of us at once is like his ideal night."

"Yeah, because I've heard you complain so much about my redhead kink." Dick rolled his eyes.

Piper smiled, already feeling relaxed with the genial younger couple. Something interesting occurred to him. "You know, when Wally found out I was gay he got really paranoid about me checking him out. I had to spend a lot of time convincing him I thought of him like a little brother. Does he know about your preference for redheads?"

"Yep," Dick answered. "We've been besties since…I think eighth grade? I've seen him through enough awkward phases and bad hair cuts for him to know that I don't think of him that way, ever."

Roy shook his head. "Guy's more full of himself than I realized."

Piper frowned. "It's not like he's the only straight guy who behaves that way. When I was still a supervillain, I had a hard time getting all the Rogues to believe I wasn't into any of them." He watched as Dick and Roy mentally assessed what they knew of Wally's Rogues.

"The Weather Wizard wasn't bad," Roy finally decided.

"He got uglier by three points whenever he opened his mouth. And I only ranked him as a seven to begin with," Piper explained.

"That's harsh. I'd give him eight," Roy said thoughtfully.

Dick shrugged. "We didn't know him though, and I'm with Piper; guys lose points for stupidity or being jack asses. Not knowing him, I'd have given him a seven too. I mean, we had Garth as an eight and the Weather Wizard was not as pretty as Garth."

"Yeah, but Garth only got the eight for the eyes-"

"He only lost nine because of the hair though."

Piper listened for a few minutes as the two playfully argued over their rankings for past teammates. It made him wonder who Kory was, since their ranking for perfection was a Kory-ten. Vic and Charlie sounded interesting too.

"Did you guys ever rank Wally?" Piper couldn't help but ask. He really did think of his friend more like family at this point, but that also meant he was emotionally attached and proud of his boy. He thought Wally was handsome, and wouldn't mind hearing strangers agree with him.

Dick groaned. "We…have some disagreement over this one. I've never once fantasized about Wally-"

"Me either," Piper assured him.

"But he's cute. I'd say he's a nine."

Piper nodded. "I'd agree with that."

"And I think he's a two for being an egocentric self-righteous prick."

Piper was startled by that, and so was Dick. "Uh…you said he was a six the last time we talked about…you know what? Let's change the subject."

"Probably a good idea," Piper said carefully.

Roy went back to groping his boyfriend, something he'd stopped doing during their conversation. "We're talking too damn much anyway. C'mon Piper, bedroom's this way."

'Last chance to back out,' Piper thought to himself, and then followed them upstairs to the master bedroom without any inkling of hesitation.

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Roy and Dick were no strangers to threesomes. They'd had their first one (with each other anyway; Roy's first had happened back when he'd been homeless and living with fellow teen junkies, and he wasn't entirely sure what he'd done) back when Dick had been dating Kory for the first time around.

Despite the fact that Roy had been making a cameo of sorts with an established couple while having serious feelings for one of them, it had been a really comfortable (and erotic) experience that they'd repeated dozens of times over the years, with varying levels of emotional commitment. And when they'd invited a third person in while Roy and Dick were the committed couple, things had never gotten awkward. They either had amazing sex or not so good sex, depending on the third party, but the relationship always weathered the newcomer.

Reflecting on that only made Roy more irritated with himself while he watched his boyfriend fuck an attractive acquaintance into the mattress. He usually liked watching Dick have sex with people. Dick was a beautiful man, and the different vantage point gave him the opportunity to appreciate that beauty from a variety of angles. Much as he enjoyed participating (and he did) it was quite the experience to sit back and just look.

That was bothering him too though. Normally Roy was more motivated about participation. He probably never would have hit on Piper if Dick hadn't pointed his interest in that direction, but the guy was reasonably pretty, and based on Dick's responses, really good in bed. But for some reason Roy only wanted to touch his boyfriend. He'd been careful to keep up the appearance of having a good time, but if he didn't watch it he was going to make this their first awkward threesome.

The thing to do would be to tap in. Dick got into watching him fuck other people too, for much the same reason, and he'd probably come on the spot watching Roy fuck another ginger (weird ass kink, but it had worked out well for him so Roy wasn't complaining). But he didn't want to stop them either. They were clearly having enough fun without him…

Son of a bitch. He was jealous. Roy was feeling threatened by a scrawny older man with an unfortunate nose (who had suddenly become a lot less pretty).

Well that wasn't good.

Piper ended Roy's musing by coming with a strangled sounding little shout, and it was really hot to watch. Dick looked like he might follow Piper into orgasm, groaning loudly as he rode out the clenching body under him, but he bit his lip and fought back his pleasure. He pulled out of Piper and turned towards Roy. "Done watching?"

"I think so."

Piper sat up on his elbows and looked at them through half-lidded eyes, soft orange hair falling over his face. Roy would have liked to put on more of a show for his audience, but Dick was already so close to the edge, and he wasn't going to last too long himself.

Dick climbed onto Roy's lap, kissed him messily, and then asked (well, demanded) to be fucked. Roy would rather have bottomed; he didn't want to lose balance in front of a near-stranger, which was always a risk thanks to the fucking missing arm, but he wasn't going to have a discussion over it either. This had been Dick's idea, and it was Dick's kink they were indulging. Roy wasn't going to detract from his lover's good time by whining about his arm again.

If Dick wanted to be fucked, he'd just have to oblige him.

He lowered Dick onto the mattress, settled between his legs, and pushed into him. Dick rocked him closer with those impossibly long, flexible legs of his, and Roy's arm was already shaking under the strain of keeping him upright and balanced when his whole body wanted to fly apart from the bliss of having Dick, so hot and fucking perfect, writhing under him. The guy really was just inches from there too; Roy barely got in a few thrusts before Dick shuddered and came, and as usual, watching and feeling Dick's bliss tipped Roy over the edge.

"Wow," Piper breathed. Roy had almost forgotten about him. At the moment his spent cock was buried in his boyfriend, who was wrapped around him in a way that really shouldn't have been possible (ah seemingly inhuman levels of flexibility). Roy indulged in another kiss, then disentangled himself from Dick's insistent cuddling.

Dick was clearly in his happy place. The smile on his face was a rare euphoric looking one that took years off of him. Roy felt some of his misgivings evaporate in response to Dick's blatant happiness.

He pushed himself into an upright position and clambered out of bed. "I'm gonna get a damp cloth or something. Be right back guys."

"Kay," Dick murmured dazedly. He leaned backwards and rested his head on Piper's thigh, and Piper combed his fingers through Dick's damp bangs. They were in pretty much the same position when Roy got back with the cloth, but Piper had stopped petting Dick and he looked a little self-conscious.

Roy wiped Dick down (he was far too dazed to do it himself) and passed a cloth off to Piper. "Thanks."

He wrapped his arm around Dick and pulled the warm pile of pliable man against him for a cuddle so Piper could clean himself off. As he flexed his arm, Roy noticed a patch of scarred flesh on Piper's shoulder that he'd wondered about (and promptly forgotten) when Piper had first removed his shirt. He had an awful lot of scars considering he was just a reserve.

"That looks pretty nasty. How'd you get that one?" Roy asked, nodding his head at Piper's shoulder since his arm was occupied. Piper had tensed at the word 'nasty', but understanding dawned when he looked where Roy had indicated.

"Oh, my shoulder. That was years ago, back when I still wasn't talking to Wally. I tried taking on the Rogues by myself and I got impaled through the shoulder and implicated in another murder. I decided not to do any more solo work after that."

Dick traced a fainter scar by Piper's hip. "You've got more than I expected. And here I was thinking you might get freaked out by me and Roy's bullet holes and whatnot."

That had been too close to 'Roy's missing arm' for Roy's comfort, but it was a valid point and he tried to let it go. It's not like people never had reactions to the evidence of his and Dick's past injuries, though clearly that wasn't an issue for Piper. He had plenty of physical mementos of the lifestyle himself.

"No complaints here," Piper assured them. "You two are absolutely stunning, bullet holes and all. That was really fun."

"Yeah, it was," Dick agreed. Roy tried to smile for his affirmation, because it had been a fun threeway, but he felt like it should have been better. They should have been doing more than taking turns with Dick.

Why the fuck was he jealous of Piper? He didn't really think Dick was going to leave him for the guy, did he? He and Dick had an amazing relationship with a history, and while Piper was a pretty cool guy, he had nothing on all that.

But he was a lot less maimed, and he had two arms. And if Roy was completely honest with himself, that was his issue.

"Well I'm probably intruding at this point. I'll just get my clothes, and, um…"

Oh that was just cute. "Dude, you don't have to take off just because we all came," Roy said with a smirk.

"If you want to, we're not trying to pressure you of course, but if you hang out, well…we could do a second act," Dick added. Which would also give Roy the chance to redeem himself by not acting like a jealous, insecure tool, and maybe he could just enjoy fooling around with Piper himself.

"I'm not sure my tired old body could handle a second act," Piper said with a self-deprecating smile.

"C'mon dude, you're not that old," Roy insisted. "You can totally handle round two."

"Well let me get my breath back and I'll think about it."

"Good. That's practically a yes, and in the meantime cuddles." Dick curled up between the two redheads and let out a contented sigh. Roy threw a blanket over them and resolved to enjoy himself as much as his boyfriend.

It really was nice…cozy.

Then Piper's cell rang and he shot out of bed. Dick and Roy both watched him grab his pants and fish his phone out from his pocket in a panic, confused by the sudden change in temperament. And Roy was a little startled by his whiny-teenager music ringtone. He'd thought a music nut like Piper would have better taste.

"Hartley, is everything…?" Dick broke off when Piper managed to get his phone out and answer it.

"Jai? What is it?"

Roy watched in some surprise as Dick's expression hardened at the mention of his normally much-loved godson. "Babe, you al-"

"Sh-shus." Dick waved his hand, eyes fixed on Piper.

"Jai, calm d-…no, I don't think he's…Jai, please hon, stop and think about what you're say-…I know, but…but Jai…if you want me to then of course I'll…alright, alright fine, I'll be there in a minute…alright hon, you too…bye."

"What's going on?" Dick asked.

Piper started hurriedly pulling his clothes on. "I suppose it's alright to tell you since you'll hear about it eventually, but until it's brought up will you please keep the secret too?"

"Sure," Dick said immediately, and Roy quickly added his agreement.

"Wally and Linda are sending Jai back to the hospital. Or, they're trying to. He shimmied down a tree and ran off, and he's waiting for me on my front stoop. I have to go convince him to talk to his parents. He doesn't think he needs more help, but…"

"Wait, you want Jai to get thrown back into that god awful place?" Roy asked.

"He's suicidal Roy. Still. He shouldn't have come back home yet."

"Well then was the nuthouse really helping him? I mean think about it. What happened when they asked him to spill in group? He can't say jack about his real issues, and all they can do is drug him," Roy said with a scowl, reflecting on his own teen years.

"Yeah, but he won't be able to kill himself while he's there. I'm sorry to leave so suddenly. Uh…bye. I'll let myself out."

"Bye," Dick said dully. Piper took off, and Roy tossed Dick's pants at him, then pulled on his own.

"Alright, what's up?" Roy demanded. "You just found out your godson is having suicidal urges and you look a little spaced out. I expected you to run off to Wally's or something. What happened?"

Dick chewed his lip, eyes downcast. "I can't tell you."

"Oh I promise you that's not the case. I'd thought you were sitting on something big. What is it?"

"Roy, I've been sworn to secrecy and it's not my secret to share."

"Don't care. You're carrying weight, now let me help. Dick? Seriously, you're freaking me out. You can tell me what made you shut down on Jai. I can keep it secret too, okay?"

Dick flopped against Roy and hid his face in his chest. "Jai sexually abused Damian."

Roy nodded, calmly waiting for Dick to continue, then the full meaning sunk in. "What?" That was the last thing he'd expected to hear. If not dead last, certainly near the bottom. "How is that even possible? Can't Damian fight him off?"

"It's not like that. Look, when they started going out…Damian asked me for help and I made him promise not to hurt Jai. Because of that, he went to great pains to…to do what Jai wanted. And Jai convinced him things were normal that aren't normal and…and Damian got really uncomfortable, but we weren't talking at the time, and…"

"It's not your fault," Roy said quickly, knowing Dick too well and knowing how he'd internalize that information.

"He apologized to me when he dumped Jai."

"Dick, it's not your…urgh." Roy knew Dick too well at this point to believe he had much chance of talking him out of his guilt (and, despite recent events, Dick's lessened but still present worry for Jai). He settled for holding Dick close and letting him sob out his fear while he whispered the occasional comforting platitude in his ear and kissed the top of his head.

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Piper ran most of the way home. Since Roy lived so close to him, he hadn't bothered driving, and he was regretting that choice. If Jai wasn't sitting there waiting for him he wasn't sure what he would do.

But Jai was there, sitting on the stoop with his forehead resting on his knees, pale and trembling.

"Jai…hey, I'm here. C'mere." Piper jogged over and pulled him close for a hug. The boy was dead weight in his arms.

"Please don't make me go back Piper."

"Let's go inside and talk, okay?" Piper fished his keys out of his pocket and steered them inside, all the while keeping a comforting arm braced around Jai's back.

"Where were you?" Jai asked. "You're usually here when I need you."

"I'm sorry I missed you, but I came when you called."

"Piper…were you having sex? Your shirt's inside out and you smell like weird cologne." Jai pulled away and swept his eyes over his companion. "You were, weren't you?"

Piper frowned and took a steadying breath. "Jai, I'm thirty nine years old. I don't have to explain myself to you. Yes, I was having sex, and it was really awesome, and I left to help you."

"Who were you having sex with?" Jai demanded.

"None of your business," Piper snapped.

Jai bit into his trembling lower lip and stared at Piper, intense green-gold eyes shining with something Piper couldn't read. His small hands were balled into fists. Why was Piper having a sex life such a betrayal for him?

"Hon, we need to talk about you. Do you want me to get you some tea or something?"

"You keep calling me hon when I'm freaking out. It's like how my mom calls me sweetheart, isn't it? It's because you think I'm a little kid."

"Um…well kind of. You're much older than I like to even think about, since I wasn't exactly young when you were born, but…Jai, where are you going with this? You're acting a bit…odd."

"Look, if you're going to be my fake uncle and be there for me, then you should actually be there for me, okay? So don't go out whoring around and then come back and call me hon and think everything's alright."

Piper recoiled in shock at the harsh words. He knew Jai spoke that way sometimes (Linda had called him crying the first time Jai had called her a terrible mother and accused her of ruining his life), but Jai had never tried to hurt him before.

Luckily, Piper was so far from being a whore that the words didn't push any buttons (going to bed with two gorgeous men was a complete aberration; getting dumped by James was much closer to his norm). It was just the intent that hurt him.

"I'm…going to put on some water for tea." He turned around and walked into the kitchen. After a few minutes, Jai walked in and slouched down in a chair. Piper set a mug in front of him. His hands were shaking from the effort of suppressing an emotional tirade that would not help the situation, so he splashed some hot tea on his hand.

"Piper, I'm sorry."

"Good. You should be. I've never done anything to warrant that treatment, least of all from you."

Jai nodded, face turned towards his untouched mug. "I'm just scared. Mom and Dad hate me, and they want me gone, and I thought…when you weren't here, I thought you were too busy for me too. I don't wanna go back to that place. And I know you know why."

Piper pulled his chair closer to Jai's and rubbed a soothing circle on his back with his unburned hand. "I'm so sorry Jai. But there's only one way to avoid those places forever. You've got to keep working until you're strong enough not to need their help."

"Couldn't I just stay here with you? I'd be happy then…and I wouldn't want to hurt myself anymore."

Touched but equally heart broken, Piper kept up the soothing circles and tried to think of a way to tell Jai why that wasn't an option without dismissing his feelings.

Well, keeping down the smug about his relationship with the twins the next time he talked to Barry wouldn't be at all difficult. This was not an enviable situation, not in the least.

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As soon as Dick slipped into an exhausted sleep Roy threw a blanket over him and crept out of bed. It was still pretty early, so he wasn't down for the night. Even if he was, the guy was a Bat so Roy had three hours, four tops, before Dick was up and about again.

Roy carefully checked his appearance before leaving the house on the off chance he ran into a member of the West/Allen family. He'd run down the street to the Wests when Dick was over with his shirt misbuttoned once, and Wally and his damn uncle had treated him like a perv ever since (Linda's teasing was pretty annoying, but at least it was free of judgment). And they were already suspicious about just why Lian was staying with them that night anyway.

He made it to the grocery store without incident and grabbed a bunch of comfort foods he knew Dick liked, then stopped in at the Wests to check on Lian. Assured that she wasn't a burden while they were going through drama, but rather a boon to poor Irey (who was in tears over her brother again) Roy offered whatever help he could be, was assured by Barry yet again that he was completely useless, and he went home.

Dick was waiting for him in the living room. He was wearing Roy's bathrobe over his underpants and he still looked pretty groggy. The way his hair was sticking up looked pretty adorable though.

"Where'd you go?" Dick asked, sounding needy.

Roy held up the grocery bag. "Checked on Lian and got us some snacks. I figured you could use some comfort food."

Dick rolled his eyes. "I know I had a minor breakdown just now, but I promise, I'm fine." And needy, but he didn't seem prepared to admit that.

"Uh huh. Well you put a lot of energy into taking care of an emotionally damaged group of stubborn a-holes, so you can let me pamper you from time to time. Now sit down while I make us nachos."

To his surprise, Dick obediently sat on the sofa. "I do like your nachos."

He knew Dick wouldn't really relax, and wasn't surprised to walk into the living room twenty minutes later with the food to find it spotless, but it was still nice to see Dick waiting for him sprawled on the couch, a warm, welcoming smile on his face.

"You look like you're already doing better."

"I am," Dick said. He beckoned towards Roy, and he set the nachos down and joined Dick on the couch. "Other than that little mess about the kids, today was a pretty fantastic day."

"Mm hm," Roy agreed. "We should see if Piper wants to do that again sometime."

"Really?" Dick asked, sounding delighted. Roy eyed him with some confusion. "I just…didn't think you liked him as much as I did. I mean, we could always call Kory-"

"We always call Kory, and besides that, you asked me if we could stop because she got unhealthily fixated on you."

Dick shrugged. "I just don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"Well I don't want you to be uncomfortable either. Besides, Piper was fine. I was just…being a girl."

"Oh?"

Roy scowled, looking down. "The guy's got two arms."

"Oh. Oh, this is the first time we've done a threesome…since…wow, I didn't even think of that."

Roy hadn't really thought about it either. He hadn't expected it to matter, but seeing Dick so intimate with someone who was whole had bothered him, and the unsettling emotions were worse for being unexpected. "I'll get over it. I…I need to get over this shit. It's not like the arm's ever gonna grow back."

"Hey, Roy, look at me," Dick said, tilting Roy's face towards him. "We've been over this. The only thing that bothers me about your missing arm is that it bothers you. I think you're gorgeous. You'd have to lose a lot more limbs to change that."

Roy snorted. "Thanks. You really mean that, don't you?"

Dick leaned forward for a kiss. "Of course I do. I love you."

"I'd better never lose you then," Roy said. "Seriously, let me know if I'm doing anything to fuck this up."

Dick laughed. "Oh believe me, you'll know."

"Speaking of which…" Roy ran his hand up and down Dick's bare thigh as he spoke. "I'd kinda wanted to talk to you about this anyway…"

"You sound serious," Dick noted.

"Yep…so I know we haven't been back together very long, but…we've done this before and we know what we're getting into. Would you…wanna talk about moving in together?"

Dick looked startled. His eyes widened and his lips parted as he tried to speak, but at first nothing came out.

It wasn't very encouraging. Roy removed his caressing hand, and rubbed at the back of his own neck instead. "I was just thinking, y'know, we've been doing the distance thing okay, but like...if we lived in the same city then maybe I could get out a little more, since there'd be less commuting time for both of us, and we could maybe team up, and Lian's been pleading with me to let you move in, and you'd kinda gone in that direction anyway by moving to New York when you thought I was still gonna live there-"

"But I figured we'd still be living in separate apartments. You mean move in together move in together?"

Roy frowned. "Would that be a bad thing?"

Some of that deer in headlights look finally left. "No, of course not. I would love to live with you. I'm here all the time anyway, it's just…I didn't think you were talking about moving back to New York."

"Oh. Yeah, I wasn't. I kinda figured you'd move in here. We've got lots of space, and you don't have a job right now."

"Well no, but I do have commitments in New York. It's a short ride from Gotham, for one thing-"

Roy rolled his eyes. "Here we go. I thought you were trying to make Damian less dependent on you."

Dick sighed. "I was. But he's not ready-"

"Are you really helping him at this point?" Roy asked.

Dick scowled. "Yes I am. If he were a normal teenager who'd lived a normal life then of course not, he'd need to stand on his own feet. But that whole thing with Jai…I can't leave him alone. He's the worst possible mix between guarded and naïve, and he needs me."

"Well can't he need Batman instead? Why can't Bruce just step it up?"

"Because he's just as damaged as Damian, and in the exact same ways."

Roy shook his head, but he wasn't angry, just fundamentally disappointed. "So what's the big plan then?"

"Huh?"

"What are we doing Dick?" Roy asked. "I can't move to your state-"

"But you're miserable here!"

"Lian's not, and she comes first. Let's face it, I'm stuck in Kansas at least until she graduates high school."

Dick shook his head. "You've only been here a few months. If you moved now-"

"I'm not uprooting my daughter from a stable situation where she's flourishing. It's non-negotiable Dick. I'm here. And if that's the case…where does that leave us?"

"Long distance for five more years?" Dick got up and started pacing. "I don't want that."

"Neither do I."

"So…you're breaking up with me if I won't move to Kansas?" Dick clarified.

"All you've got holding you to New York is a messed up family that really has taken enough from you without giving much back."

"My life is there Roy. I love the city, and I may not have a traditional job but I am the only hero working my section right now. Even if Damian weren't in the equation, which he very much is, I don't want to move. And I don't think I should have to relocate to stay with you. That's a bit much to ask."

"Then I don't think there's anything else to say."

"So you're done?" Dick's voice broke as he said it.

Roy squeezed his eyes shut, wanting both to block the sight of Dick's heartbroken face and keep his own pain from sight. "It doesn't sound like there's another option. I'm sorry."

"Me too." Dick got up and went for the stairs. "I'll just get my clothes and get outta here then."

"You can still stay for nachos." Roy certainly needed the comfort food. That hadn't been how he'd thought the conversation would go at all.

Dick didn't answer him, and a few minutes later the front door shut behind him.

Roy slumped down on the couch with the cooling tray of nachos in front of him. He really wanted to get drunk, and that scared him because any desire to deal with his emotions through a substance, even alcohol, was a bad sign.

But he really wanted a drink, and it wasn't as dangerous for him if he did so with company. He went upstairs to find his phone so he could give Grace a call.

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The next morning found Dick sitting in a crumpled heap by his front window, still wearing his Nightwing costume because he'd never changed out of it after his patrol, using all his willpower not to call Roy and tell him he'd changed his mind about everything. As it was, he'd already gotten on the computer and looked up apartments in Keystone four or five times since he'd gotten home.

He felt the same as he had seven and a half years ago, when Lian died and Roy spiraled into an emotional wreck. Dick could have gone after him, sacrificed the life he'd built and gone under with Roy just enough to bring him back, but he'd only chased Roy so much because he knew he needed to be strong and whole for Damian. That hadn't changed. Even though Damian was older, he still needed Dick's help, and he wouldn't abandon the kid.

But it still hurt.

He looked at his phone again, and was wondering if he might be able to convince Roy that they could do long distance for another five or six years when it started ringing. Dick dove for it, then swore when he saw that it was Grace calling him. He didn't even like Grace.

But she didn't like him either, so it might be important.

"Hello?"

"Grayson? Hey man, can you get down to Keystone like five minutes ago?"

Dick rubbed at his eyes. "I don't think I'll be heading to Keystone again for awhile Grace. It's compli-"

"No, I know you and Roy just broke up. We went out for drinks to talk about it. Thing is, his baby-mama grabbed him while we were stumbling through the parking lot."

"…what? Cheshire kidnapped Roy?"

"Unless he's got another baby-mama he never told us about, yeah it was fucking her, and I know that bitch can't have anything good planned for him. Now can you pretty please get your pampered, pretty little butt down to Keystone and work your detective magic so we can find him?"

Dick cringed, but really there was no question there. He'd have to deal with Grace. "Fine. I'm on my way."


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Dick appeals to Catwoman's good nature for help, Lian gears up to rescue her dad with her friends.

Chapter Twenty One

Roy felt like ass, but in an intimately familiar way. The last clear memory he had was of trying to drink Grace under the table. He didn't think this specific ass-ish feeling was the result of a hangover though. This was Cheshire's work.

Roy tried to sit up, and found that it wasn't just his weakness holding him down. He cracked open his eyes, hoping to get a look at his restraints, and found himself face to face with a wide-eyed sparkling blue stare instead.

"Yah!" The owner of said wide-eyed stare yelped and fell over. Roy would have clutched at his head if he could move his hand. As such, he had to deal with the pain shooting through his head without even the instinctive, ineffectual, but comforting gesture.

Harley Quinn righted herself, then bent down and waved in front of his face. "Hiya Red! Took ya long enough to wake up. No wait, come to think of it, you woke up in half the time it normally takes people after Chesh spritzes 'em with her stuff. You been poisoned by her a lot or something?"

Roy groaned out something unintelligible but vaguely threatening. Even though there was no chance the ditzy clown girl could have understood him (Roy wasn't even sure what he'd tried to say), she seemed to get his intent. "That ain't nice. I guess I'd better go get Chesh and see what she wants to do with you. I'll be right back, so don't try and escape or nothing!"

Groaning again, Roy rested his forehead on the cool cement of the floor, took a deep breath, then made a renewed effort to sit up. He got a little further before he was yanked back down again. He craned his neck a little, and was finally able to catch a glimpse of the restraints, which felt bizarrely different from anything he'd ever been tied up with.

Which made sense, because they were plant vines, and Poison Ivy wasn't really his rogue.

Jade slunk into the room, wearing a fancy green negligee that would have distracted him terribly if he weren't already far too pissed off and fearful to be horny. "Hello Roy."

"Hi. You wanna tell me what the fuck is going on?"

Smirking, Jade knelt in front of him, making quite the show of her long, shapely legs and bouncing cleavage as she did so. "I wanted to see you again."

"So you poisoned me and shoved me in a van?" He guessed, anyway.

"Give me a little credit please. It took some effort to get you out of the clutches of that horrible giantess you were carousing with."

Now he kinda wished Cheshire's poison mixed better with alcohol, because a smack-down between Grace and Jade was definitely worth remembering. Still though, more pressing issues. "If you wanted to talk to me you could have just showed up at the house again. I haven't exactly proven myself unwilling to spend time with you, you know."

"I do." Jade stretched out next to him, then leaned forward and hooked one of her legs between his. Roy tried to creep away, but Ivy's vines tightened and held him in place. Jade ran one of her long, dangerous nails up and down his face, putting just enough pressure to remind him what they could do but not enough to cause damage. "I'm interested in a bit more than a parenting chat this time though."

"Uh…flattered but spoken for?" Which wasn't true, but she didn't know that (hopefully).

"Ah yes, Nightwing. We'll deal with him if you won't, darling. I've been giving it some thought recently and…well, I'm getting older. I'm getting tired of running around like this. I want what you offered me."

Roy blinked at her in confusion. "What I…offered…you?"

"The house, the baby, your hand in marriage? You must remember that darling, it was the last conversation we had before you left with our child. You said you could pull some strings and get my record wiped clean."

"I could have when we were twenty. It's been over a decade since I made that offer Jade."

"I didn't want it then," Jade said with a frown. "But I want it now. I'm ready now. I want to see my daughter without having to hide. And I want you…More and more lately, I've regretted my selfish choices. Roy, you're the only person I've met who's ever seen anything of value in me, anything worth saving."

"I see. And to show me your appreciation, you decided to drug me and tie me to your basement floor with monstrous plants?" Roy asked pointedly.

Jade leaned back a little, giving him some space to breathe, but kept her leg pressed against his thigh. "I didn't expect you to accept my offer. Not yet, anyway. But my cards are on the table: I want custody of my daughter, and I want you. Whether we do this your way or mine remains to be seen, but one way or the other, we will be together."

She grabbed his face on either side with her claws and pulled him close. Roy tried to fight it, but Jade planted a powerful kiss on his mouth. He kept it close-mouthed and tried like hell to wriggle away, so she elbowed him in the gut and used his startled cry to turn it open-mouthed.

Roy felt even more sick (not to mentioned used) when Jade finally got up to leave. His mouth was coated with something sticky and waxy, and the sickening-sweet taste of it made him want to vomit.

Jade walked over to the doorway, swaying her hips unnecessarily as she went. She turned when she got to the door and smirked at him again, and that's when he noticed the acid green lipstick smeared over her mouth and put it together. She was working with Poison Ivy, and Poison Ivy turned makeup into weaponized aphrodisiacs.

If he didn't willingly marry Jade, she'd just drug him into it. It's not like his consent could make much difference to her.

*******

Grace was sitting on the curb in front of one of Keystone's seedier watering holes, surrounded by crushed water bottles and two empty aspirin bottles, when Dick roared up on one of the loudest, least fuel efficient, American made monsters in his motor cycle collection. He tried not to enjoy it too much when the hulking woman bent double and, swearing loudly, clutched at her head.

It was petty, but he still didn't like the fact that Grace had tried to score with his ex the night they broke up (because he didn't believe for a second that Grace had only shown up to comfort Roy and have a few drinks; she was on the outs with Anissa again too).

"Jesus H Christ on a motherfucking pogo stick! What the fuck is wrong with you Grayson?!" she demanded.

He calmly removed his motorcycle helmet and regarded her with a cool expression. "I'm not sure I follow you."

"Asshole. Why the fuck are you in your civvies? I thought I told you I wanted you here to detect!"

Dick climbed off of his bike and walked past her. "And in broad daylight, I do that with much less notice dressed as a civilian than in my spandex. Now what happened?"

"I told you already. Roy got grabbed by a psycho bitch."

Dick pressed his lips together, but gave no other outward sign of how annoying he found her attitude. Not for the first time, he wished Roy hadn't convinced the over-compensating meta bouncer that she was superhero material. "Could I get some details please?"

After much coaxing, he was able to get the cranky, hung-over woman to expound a little on the events of the previous night. She and Roy had been stumbling their way out of the parking lot (so that she could get him back to his place and jump his bones went heavily implied), when a van pulled up and out jumped Cheshire and Harley Quinn. Roy had been too inebriated to be of much use (which was, again, its own cause for worry given his history), but Grace had put up a pretty decent fight, and lost.

"Did you see what direction the van went?" Dick prompted.

Grace shook her head, then grabbed it with her hand and winced. "Nope. Too busy spitting out blood and getting back on my feet. That baby-mama really packs a punch."

"I know." Dick hated fighting Cheshire.

"So what's the next step?" Grace asked, a note of impatience in her voice.

Dick was about to tell her that they needed to call Wally, when his phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket, and Grace sneered at him. "You're not actually gonna answer that, are you? We're busy."

"Hey Wally," Dick greeted, not exactly surprised to hear from the guy.

"Hey dude…uh…you're not still in the area, are you?"

"Just got back, actually. Roy got kidnapped last night. Is Lian still with you?"

Grace's face paled at that. "Shit, I forgot about her."

"She just came back from her house," Wally said. "She said the door was kicked in, so she didn't go inside but just came right back here. And Roy's not answering his phone."

Dick had just walked by the smashed remnants of Roy's cell while pacing around the empty parking lot. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Look, I know you're busy right now, but would you mind keeping her with you until this is sorted out? Cheshire took Roy, which makes me think she'd be equally interested in going after their daughter."

"Of course Lian can stay here. How much do you think I should tell her about why though?"

Dick sighed, not sure how to answer that himself. "Tell her that her parents are having a tiff, and that people are on it, and she just needs to stay with you until we work this out. If it seems like she's having a hard time, call me back and I'll swing by and talk to her before I leave for Gotham."

"Gotham?" Wally and Grace repeated.

Dick rolled his eyes. "That's where Cheshire and her friends are. Look, I've got to go so I can get to work on this."

"Yeah dude, of course. I'll let you know if Lian wants to talk to you," Wally promised before hanging up.

Grace crossed her arms over her chest. "What now?"

"There isn't much to be learned from this parking lot," Dick said. "But it looks like Cheshire swung by his house first. I want to go in and take a peek, then I need to make some calls, then I'm heading back to Gotham. You're welcome to come with."

Grace nodded, and walked over to his bike.

*******

They didn't find much at Roy's house that Dick didn't already expect. The place was trashed, the coat he'd left behind had been clawed to shreds, and dozens of family photos and pieces of Lian's artwork were missing.

Dick was standing in front of a blank patch of wall in the hallway that used to hold a watercolor Lian had made of her and Roy, frowning. It was tempting to use all this as an excuse to dwell on the decision he and Roy had come to. And he would, but after they had Roy back.

"While you're rocking your detective mojo, I'm just gonna pop across the way and check in on the squirt," Grace called.

Dick nodded, not really caring if she noticed.

He knew Cheshire making scattered visits at the house was a bad idea, and Roy had brushed off his concerns. Not only that, he'd made Dick feel guilty for having them. Made him feel jealous…

Because he kind of was. Which was stupid, and not even a little fair. Dick had had some pretty serious relationships other than the one with Roy. He'd been engaged more than once, after all. Still, the commitment of having a kid with that psycho…it was a pretty strong tie.

'You shied away from having that kind of tie with him,' Dick reminded himself. Roy offered him everything, and he'd walked away. And now the guy might be dying, without Dick getting the chance to explain that his decision was hurting the hell out of him, and that he wanted more time to reconsider.

"Alright, this emo shit isn't helping anything." Dick wiped at his face, gave himself a mental shake, then got his phone out again.

"Hey Bruce…oh don't even. Nine am is a perfectly acceptable time to make a phone call, and you did pick up…I yelled at you when you did it because I'd only gotten three hours of sleep! You're probably on hour five, at le-two? Well anyway, that's not important. Do you still have Selina's number? …For a hook-up, why do you think I want her-did you hang up on me?"

*******

Roy wasn't exactly surprised that his headache and weakness didn't improve with time, but it was really shitty to have that particular worry confirmed. He'd long since worked whatever Jade had initially hit him with through his system, so that meant the new stuff was taking its toll, and the new stuff scared him.

He didn't see her again for the rest of the day, but Harley made another appearance. She skipped up to him, waved cheerfully, and then bent over at an odd angle to look him over. "Hm…you got really pale Red. And you're all clammy. Guess we don't need these anymore." She stood up straight, whistled, and the vines retracted. "That's better!"

Roy didn't bother changing position. He was feverish, and the cold cement felt nice against his face. "Where's Jade?"

"Around. She asked me to check up on ya. Gotta say, you're not looking too good."

"Well she is poisoning me."

Harley shrugged, then sat down cross legged in front of him. "If you're getting poisoned, does that mean you don't want dinner?"

Roy rolled his eyes up so that he could give her an incredulous look. She still might have missed it, since he was flat on the floor. "No, I don't think I can eat."

"Well we might need ta get ya an IV then. Not right away though. I think you'll keep for a few more days." She cheerfully slapped his arm stub, and he suppressed the urge to growl at her. "Hm…so if she's poisoning you that must mean you said no. How come you don't wanna marry Chesh no more?"

"For starters, she's poisoning me."

Harley took a moment to consider that. "Y'know, it's not great, but I wouldn't call it a deal breaker."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't."

Harley sniffed. "I'm just saying…if you ever actually loved her, you could overlook a few quirks if you wanted to."

"Abduction and poisons are quirks?"

"Sure they are. So you really don't want to marry her anymore?" Harley asked, eagerly leaning forward with her pointed chin in her hands. Roy groaned and closed his eyes, then shook his head. Harley frowned, lower lip trembling. "That's awful! You guys got a kid together and everything! You could, you could run away and start fresh and have a house with a yard and a swing set! It'd be perfect!"

"Jade doesn't love me Quinn," Roy snapped. "I'm not even sure if she loves Lian at this point."

"Course she does! She's always thinking about you guys. I know she's a little grumpy, but trust me, she really wants this to work out."

"Yeah, well if she'd ever gotten pregnant by any other guy, I'm sure he'd be here on your fucking floor instead of me. I'm just the instrument that helped bring about our child, and I serve as Lian's retainer."

"That ain't true Red. An' it's really awful that you think all those mean things of Chesh. Lookit all the trouble she went through just for you!"

Roy snorted. "You've got more issues than I thought."

"Yeah, well you're mean." Harley jumped to her feet and left in a huff.

Roy curled in on himself and clutched his head with his hand. As soon as the door slammed shut behind Quinn, he sat up straight and started looking around the room for anything useful in effecting an escape.

*******

Lian was sitting on Irey's bed crying hysterically into a pillow when there was a knock on the door. Irey had been rubbing her back, but she stopped, rested her hand on Lian's shoulder, and looked at the door. "Who's there?"

The door opened a crack, and a woman Irey had never seen before poked her head in. "Hey chicky. I'm friends with Lian's dad. Is it okay if I come in and talk to her?"

"Uh…" Irey looked blankly between her sobbing friend and the strange (and freaking huge!) woman. "Li…what do you want to do?"

Lian lowered the pillow. Her face and eyes were red and her nose was running. Irey had never seen her so emotional before. "C-c'mon in Grace. D-did you g-guys find a l-lead yet?"

Grace shook her head. "Sorry princess. Dickie-bird seems to have some ideas, but we haven't actually set out to save the day yet. I wanted to swing by and check in on you before we left though. Hey, don't sweat it Lian. We'll find him. And I'll beat the hell out of your mom, so she'll think twice before trying a stunt like this again."

Irey went to get Lian a box of tissues from her mom's bedside table and got them to her hand in half a second. "See? Grace and Nightwing are on it. Your dad'll be back in no time."

"Listen to your friend kid. She's a smart one."

Lian wiped at her face, and when she turned to look at Grace she was more composed. Grace smiled reassuringly, but her face fell at Lian's next question. "Can I come with you?"

"I don't think that's a good idea honey," Grace said with a frown. "We'll get your dad and bring him back and everything'll be fine, but you should wait here while we do it."

"I can help. I-I know I can help."

"Lian, you don't have any powers," Irey hissed.

"Neither does Daddy," Lian hissed back. She returned her attention to Grace. "I don't need them! I've been…um, I know how to fight. I can help, I promise."

Grace smirked. "Hey, I wouldn't mind having another hero on the case, but the thing is, if I showed up with you, then your dad'd kick my ass as soon as we rescued him. I'd rather be on his good side right now, so you're just gonna have to stay here."

Lian looked at Grace in some confusion. "Since when do you care if someone gets mad at you?"

She looked satisfied about something. "Never you mind Princess. Just sit tight and hang out with your buddy. I'll have your dad back to you in no time." Grace went so far as to ruffle Lian's hair, and then she skulked out of the room.

As soon as the door was shut Lian took her hair out of its ponytail and started frantically running her fingers through it. "I hate it when she patronizes me like that. She barely listened to me."

"Well she's kinda right Lian. If you showed up at a supervillain's hideout your dad would have a cow," Irey pointed out.

Lian scowled. "I can help. I'd definitely rather help than just sit here and worry about him."

"I guess." It's how Irey would feel if it was her dad in a hostage situation. "So who taught you how to fight? Your dad barely shows you anything."

"If you help me sneak out and run me to Gotham, I'll tell you."

"Lian, Dad told us to stay right here. He said Cheshire might come after you."

A hard, cold look came over Lian's normally soft and pleasant face. "I hope she does."

Irey chewed her lip, and started pacing across her room. Finally, she nodded. "Okay, I'll bring you to Gotham. Why do you wanna go there anyway?"

"Because Mom lives there. I heard Daddy and Uncle Dick talking about it the other day. Plus we should stop by Damian's and see if he wants to help."

Irey breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, getting Robin is definitely a good idea."

*******

Damian was taking a run through the grounds of the manor when suddenly Impulse was running alongside him. She waved at him, then veered off to some trees about twenty feet away. Intrigued (and mildly concerned that he was hallucinating-he had suffered a minor head injury during the previous night's patrol, after all), he followed after her.

Impulse was leaning against a tree with her goggles down, and much to Damian's surprise, Lian was sitting on a small boulder. "Hi Damian."

"Hello…what are you both doing here?"

"We've got a mission!" Irey announced brightly. "Want in?"

Lian shook her head in incredulity. "That is not how you invite someone on a team-up."

"Like you would know," Irey pouted.

Damian made an impatient noise and folded his arms over his chest. "What team-up? What is this all about? Lian, you're not ready for fieldwork."

"He's training you?!" Irey shrieked.

Lian glared at her. "Irey, stealth. We're trying to do this without Alfred and Mr. Wayne and frickin' everyone finding out we're here, remember? Sheesh. And yes, Damian's been training me. The boy does know how to fight without superpowers. I'd thought he was the obvious choice for an instructor."

Damian narrowed his eyes. "I'm much more than an obvious choice. But again, I must insist that while you've learned a great deal under my tutelage, I'm not comfortable bringing you into a combat situation."

Lian touched his arm and gently steered him a little further into the cluster of trees. Taking the hint, Irey gave them some space. "Dami…my dad was kidnapped. His life is in danger and everyone wants me to just sit in my room and wait for them to fix it. But I can't just do nothing when I know I can help."

"You could also complicate the situation."

"I'm asking you as a friend. Dami, please come with us. And if you don't, can you at least not tell on us?" She grasped his hand with both of her small ones with a pleading expression. He hated seeing her so distressed.

"Alright, fine. But if you're going to work with me then you're going to listen to me. I have more experience than Impulse, and a thousand times more than you. You will defer to that expertise without question while we're in the field."

Well that got the look of distress off her face. He couldn't exactly read the expression that replaced it, but she finally gave her assent in a choked voice. That was something.

"Very well then. Follow me." Damian set off towards the manor with the two girls in tow.

"Hey, where are we going?" Irey asked.

"We're not allowed to question him," Lian said, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to put forth the suggestion that you tell us what's going on before we bump into your dad though."

"Father has a board meeting in twenty minutes. He left for it an hour ago so that he could meet with Dick first." Damian paused. "They're looking for your father, aren't they?"

"Uncle Dick is, yeah."

"Hmph. He might have asked me for my input as well. At any rate, only Pennyworth is in the manor, and the last I saw of him, he was employed in dusting the useless knick knacks and heir looms on the third floor. We won't be seeing him."

The girls followed him into the house and through the maze of rooms on the first floor before speaking again. "So where are we going?" Lian asked.

"You're not going to be able to follow my rules, are you?"

"Probably not, no," she answered, a glint of challenge in her eyes.

For whatever reason, Damian didn't find it as annoying as he usually did. He felt his lips twitch in something near a smile, and then he turned and started walking towards the hidden stairwell again. "We're going to the Cave. You need to be outfitted with supplies and, if you're doing this kind of work now, you'll need a mask."

"Oh. Well that's cool."

*******

Dick had been a bit concerned about showing up at the Wayne Enterprises building with Grace, but thankfully the rough mannered, heavily tattooed meta also had her own misgivings about spending any amount of time in an upscale office building that she wasn't breaking into for work. She offered to cruise the streets and see what she could pick up off of contacts, and Dick happily jumped on the suggestion that they part ways.

He was so concerned about Grace that he didn't give much of a thought to his own appearance. Since he'd been driving around on a motorcycle for most of the day, he was wearing a heavy leather coat, jeans, muddy boots, and his hair was a sad combination of windswept and helmet-shaped.

Tim and Tam were walking through the lobby when they saw him (he still couldn't get over the fact that they'd been dating with nearly identical names for three and a half years without one of them cracking and adopting a new nickname). It looked like Tim was bringing his girlfriend lunch. They both slowed their pace and then stopped walking with the same amused expression on their faces.

"Hey Dick," Tim finally greeted.

"I'm sorry Mr. Grayson, but we do have a minimum standard of dress in this building," Tam teased.

"Really? Because I remember running through here once in my little league uniform," Dick said. "You guys seen Bruce?"

"No, but he should be upstairs…unless you boys have a thing going on?" Tam asked. Tim eyed Dick curiously.

"I'm just here for some info. I'll give you a call if it gets interesting," Dick said in a low voice. "Anyway, I'll leave you guys to enjoy your lunch. Nice seeing you Tam." He nodded another goodbye at the couple, then strode over to the elevators.

As he passed through the building on his way to Bruce's office, Dick noticed a lot of employees start to sneer at him for his unkempt appearance, until they caught a better look at his face. It was pretty funny, actually. He'd always liked messing with the suck-ups back when he'd still lived with Bruce.

After exchanging pleasantries with the administrative assistant, Dick walked into Bruce's office without knocking, figuring it was okay since he was expected. And he immediately regretted his stupid-ass assumption.

Bruce was sitting at his desk in work clothes, while Selina Kyle was perched suggestively in front of him. Her expression was far from welcoming, and she had her arms folded across her chest, but the rest of her body language didn't match. She was leaning into his space and besides that, her legs were spread pretty far considering how short the skirt of her suit was. And then there was the fact that Bruce had a hand on her inner thigh.

Dick stage coughed. Neither of them moved.

"Hello junior," Selina finally said, glancing over her shoulder.

Bruce rolled his desk chair back, thankfully removing the groping hand to do so, and had the nerve to look at Dick with a calm expression, as though he hadn't walked in on anything the least bit awkward.

"Uh yeah, hi." He should have been used to this by now. He'd been walking in on Batman and Catwoman having awkward, frustrated, sexually charged power battles since he was too young to know what they were. And he'd learned long ago that the best way to deal with the situation was to ignore it. "Hey Selina. Thanks for showing up."

"Not at all." She pointedly crossed her legs, choosing to remain perched on the edge of Bruce's desk. Dick momentarily wondered (as he did with the shoe choices of many females in the costumed community) how Selina walked and fought in those heels. Not that she was dressed for a fight, but he knew she could be ready at the first hint of one.

Dick had dressed in drag more than once for undercover work during his adolescence, and he'd usually kicked off the heels if he needed to do any running.

"I'd heard you needed my help with a case?" Selina prodded.

"Yeah. I was wondering if you'd heard anything else about Cheshire's team-up with Harley and Ivy."

"Oh, that." Selina looked a bit disappointed, but it barely lasted a second before she adopted her put-upon yet business-like manner. "It's been going on a bit too long to just be a team-up at this point, and besides that, I'd heard that Cheshire and Ivy were more than just coworkers. Of course, it's equally likely that that's just fantasy-fodder for the pervs of the criminal world."

Dick hadn't ever heard anything about Cheshire being bisexual, so he was willing to dismiss the rumor. If any costumes worked together long enough, whatever their affiliation, whatever their gender, they were invariably rumored to be sleeping together (it was just coincidence that Dick actually had slept with most of the close teammates and friends he'd been accused of having relationships with).

"Any thought on a location for them?" Dick asked.

"I have some people I can ask. From what I hear, Ivy's still interested in a collaboration with me, so she's kept lines of communication open. But before we continue," she said with a pointed look at Dick's hopeful expression, "I want to know what beef you've got with Cheshire before I commit to something that could be dangerous."

"She abducted my boyfriend." Dick thought it best to just come out with it (and that boyfriend would sound more compelling than ex-boyfriend). Dick had learned some years ago that being direct with Selina worked wonders. If you treated her with respect, more often than not she made an attempt to return it.

He really wished Bruce would come around on that particular strategy.

"Ah." Selina sighed, scrubbing a hand through her short black hair. "We're all thinking the same thing here, aren't we?"

"Sending you in as bait? I assume so," Bruce responded.

"We don't even have to go that far," Dick said, not liking the distinctly pissed off look Selina wore in response to Bruce's blunt answer. "If you let out word of your interest in joining them, we could set up an ambush and you wouldn't even need to be present."

Selina shook her head. "There's no way to do that without word of my involvement coming back to them. Cheshire in particular has an impressive network of informants, and even though she's only been in Gotham a short time, it's already extensive enough to rival my own. If I help you even the slightest beyond bare bones information, it will get back to them and it will make hell for me."

"Then I guess I'm just going to have to appeal to your good nature."

Selina laughed, a deep, throaty sound, while Bruce snorted derisively and rolled his eyes.

*******

Dick left the office a short time later for his meeting with Grace. Despite Selina's ultimate refusal to directly help him, he didn't consider the meeting a complete waste of time. He'd piqued Selina's interest, and often times that was enough.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy almost kills Dick. Damian is mistakenly believed to be dating Lian.

Chapter Twenty Two

Tim half-expected his cell to go off all during his walk back to the apartment after meeting up with Tam for lunch, but it remained silent. When he got in he dropped his keys in the bowl next to the door, kicked off his shoes, and went into the living room to dump his messenger bag on the couch. X'hawn was sitting on the floor with a big bowl of popcorn, open mouthed and gaping at the TV.

"Hey X'hawn. You didn't hear any of my signal devices going off, did you?"

"Nope."

"Okay, I guess Dick doesn't need any backup then. So what'cha watching this time?" He frowned when he finally got a good look at the screen. "Oh X'hawn, this show is absolute garbage."

It was an old Saturday morning cartoon someone had made loosely based on the Justice League. The only public heroes they'd been able to get ahold of were the Elongated Man and Flash, and only Ralph had taken up the show's production team on their offer to consult. Even then, they'd barely used his input. The resulting train wreck of a cartoon ran wild with the most ridiculous ideas about what crime fighting was like, but then, it's not like they were trying to be true to life. Mostly, the show was an excuse to sell action figures.

Sparrow, the Robin stand-in, was a mash-up of what little the animators had been able to piece together of Dick, Jason, and Tim. And, Tim noted but would never admit to, they'd given Sparrow Tim's old haircut with the spikey bangs. He'd been fourteen when the stupid show came out, and Dick still teased him mercilessly about Sparrow.

X'hawn paused the show. "Is this an inappropriate way to learn more about the costumed community?"

Tim shrugged. "I mean, you're not actually learning about us this way, you're learning what people think we do…kind of. I don't think anyone really believes that Superman lives in an orbiting moon base-"

"But you guys have the Watchtower."

"Yeah, but none of us live there," Tim said, feeling like it was a lame argument. "X'hawn, if you want to get to know the superhero community I can just introduce you to them."

"Okay. Um, I mean not all at once, but it would be nice…It kind of seems like homeless aliens end up mixing with them eventually, whatever else their ambitions might have been." He turned off the TV and hugged his knees.

"Hey, hey X'hawn…you're not homeless." Tim sat down next to him on the rug and threw an arm over his thin shoulders. "You live here, with me and Tam. And you can do whatever you want to do. Clark and Kara and J'onn and everyone all became heroes yeah, but it was because they have abilities other people don't. You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"Well what else can I do?" he asked. "I've just been staying here studying your planet-"

"It's your planet too. You've gotta stop talking about Earth like it's someplace you're visiting. You're a US citizen. I know it's a big adjustment, but distancing yourself like this won't help."

"I know…" X'hawn sighed, then shrugged out of Tim's one-armed embrace. "Do you think…I could start going to school?"

"Oh." For some reason, it had never occurred to Tim that he'd want to. "Yeah, I can look into getting you into school. How old are you, anyway?"

"By your reckoning? Fourteen. I should be starting high school in the fall."

"And you…really want to do that?" Tim would have jumped on the chance to skip high school if he'd had the opportunity. Bruce had planned on getting X'hawn a tutor and getting him a GED, and Tim felt a bit envious. Eventually he'd gotten a GED instead of properly graduating, and considering all the energy he'd put into crime fighting (not to mention hiding his double life from his classmates) he could have really used it sooner.

"I want nothing more than to be in school," X'hawn said, a dreamy smile on his face. "My people were a race of scholars. We recorded Tamaran's history. The ruling class thought we were weak, since we were intellectual instead of barbaric warriors like them. That's why my ancestors were banished to the Sho'kaa belt."

"O-oh." It was far from the first time X'hawn had casually referred to Starfire's family as barbarians, but Tim still didn't have a comfortable response for it. "Um…yeah, so I'll see about getting you signed up for school. So…you're thinking like college and stuff afterwards?" Tim grinned. "No crime fighting?"

X'hawn considered for a minute. "I suppose I do have some extraordinary abilities. Those psychos who experimented on me gave me some of the same abilities as Princess Koriand'r. Perhaps I should put them to use helping people."

"Well, spend some time thinking it over. There's no rush, after all. We don't have a Teen Titans group together just…" His phone rang, distracting him. "Yet. Excuse me X'hawn." He went into the kitchen to take the call, and unsuccessfully tried to hold back a groan of dismay when X'hawn turned the stupid Nobility Squad cartoon back on.

Itl wasn't from Dick calling him into battle, but Cassie. "Hey Cass. What's up?"

"Hey…do you have a minute?"

Tim looked at the pile of books and notes still waiting for him on the kitchen table, where they'd been since he'd woken at five in the morning, and where he'd remained until he'd allowed himself the break of bringing Tam a lunch.

He really was supposed to be getting back to work.

"Yeah, I'm free. What's up? Still waiting for married life to settle in more comfortably?"

Cassie sighed, and Tim felt an increasingly familiar sense of anxiety for his friends. Cassie and Conner had been euphoric in the months leading up to their wedding, but once it had actually happened, a weight of responsibility and adulthood had settled over them. They'd had some shaky points in the past, but then they'd always wound up back together because Superboy and Wondergirl were just made for each other (or so everyone seemed to believe).

"I just don't know what we're even doing anymore Tim. It feels like we're acting," Cassie whispered, voice shaky and weak. "I can't remember the last time Conner said something to me that didn't feel scripted. And I know I'm not acting like myself. I tried cooking Ma Kent's fried chicken last night, and it was just so hokey. We're not those people, y'know?"

"I know. Do you want to come over and talk for a while? It's just me and X'hawn right now, and he's got the TV. He won't care if we go for a walk and get a coffee or something."

"That sounds wonderful Tim. I'm on my way."

"Cool. See you in a bit." As soon as Tim hung up, he remembered that he'd offered Dick his help if he needed it.

But Cassie probably needed it more. Dick was one of the most popular heroes in the community. He had dozens of people to call in if he needed it (not to mention the fact that he was dating one of the most experienced heroes out there). Tim turned his phone off and pointedly left the signal devices in the bedroom while he waited for Cassie.

*******

"You know Grayson, I think you're the only person who's ever made an honest to God appeal to my good nature."

"…did it work?"

Selina was leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest, an amused yet wary expression on her face. She was wearing the cat suit, which was a good sign (this time anyway-Dick wanted her to have been working). Grace was still out roughing up thugs at random on the slim hope that one of them knew something about Cheshire, even though Dick had repeatedly insisted that henches weren't really Cheshire's style. His hopes weren't high for Grace breaking the case, meaning he really needed something useful from Selina.

"Yes junior, it worked. I…appreciate the efforts you've taken on my behalf. You've scratched my back often enough." She slipped a flash drive out of her glove and placed it in his hand. "Good luck finding your boyfriend, and may your love life go more smoothly than mine."

"I'll keep working on him for you Selina. He's getting older now. He's gotta give in eventually."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not planning on waiting much longer."

Dick really did appreciate her help so he tried his best to keep his expression polite, but it didn't work. Selina scowled at him, looking distinctly annoyed. "I don't need him. And you're being an ungrateful brat."

"I know you don't need him, but you also keep him from going down paths I'd rather him not. All us ex-sidekicks and partners are in agreement on this. You're our favorite, so we're all rooting for you." Especially Damian, who could be provoked into hysterics at the mere mention of his parents doing something romantic together.

Selina looked a bit skeptical. "That's interesting. Even Talia's kid?"

It was Dick's turn for a little incredulity. "Especially Talia's kid. Damian hates his mom."

"Huh. That's not how she spins it. Well anyway, I have places to go and things to do that I'm not disclosing to you. Go rescue your man."

"I will. Thanks again Selina." Dick watched her leap over the porch railing, trying to process the fact that Selina and Talia actually spoke to each other. "Bet it'd be interesting to be a fly on the wall for that."

Being busy himself though, he decided to muse on it another day and went inside to look over Selina's info.

*******

"Does everything fit?" Irey called.

"Um…the chest is a little tight."

"Really?" Irey squeaked, clearly surprised. "But that one used to be Stephanie's! She's not exactly a twig you know."

"Excuse me Irey, but have you seen my mom? She's built like Jessica Rabbit."

Irey zipped over to the computer console, where Damian was brooding over at least nine different data displays. "Hey hey howdy Robin. Uh…Lian says the costume doesn't fit."

"It's the best we have available. I know she's a bit shorter than the previous Batgirl, but the fit should be close enough to be practical."

"She says her boobies are getting crushed. Well, she didn't say it like that, but that's the gist." Irey giggled at the visibly uncomfortable Robin (Damian was actually blushing).

"Yes, er…Barbara Gordon is a bit…that is, her measurements in that particular regard are more in line with Lian's. We should have at least one of her former uniforms as well. Would you mind searching the lockers in the changing area?"

"Not a problem." Irey found a few more Batgirl suits and tossed them into the changing stall Lian was in. "How're those chicky? Can your massive hooters breathe?"

"Irey, will you stoppit?!"

"Sorry, sorry." Irey ran back over to the computer console, and a few minutes later Lian approached them, looking a bit unsure of herself but also carrying her petite frame with a measure of confidence.

Her costume was a hodgepodge of Batgirl and Robin costumes from ages past. She was wearing one of Tim's old dominos and an armored cape with one of Barbara Gordon's suits, Damian's old gloves and boots, and a freshly stocked utility belt. She'd tied her waist length hair back in a tight braid. The colors all clashed terribly, but she made a passable looking superhero.

"You know, if you wore the yellow go-go boots the heels would give you an extra three inches," Irey said.

"Yeah, and I'd break my neck running. Seriously, good call on the neon green boots Damian."

She was wearing the pair he'd worn at ten, but the ones he wore at eighteen were the same model in a larger size. "I've found them to be quite practical. Before we head out there are a few things we need to go over."

"We get it, we get it. No questioning your orders, o great and powerful team leader," Irey said, rolling her eyes.

"Not just that, and might I add, you've been failing at it something terrible, so it wouldn't be out of line for me to insist on going over it again. First and foremost though, once we exit the Cave we need to use our working names exclusively. You are to refer to me as Robin and only Robin. Irey will be Impulse and…Lian, what shall we call you?"

Lian frowned. "Um…I'd say Speedy, but Mia's still using it. I dunno…Kid Arrow?"

"That's kinda lame," Irey said. "There's more than one Flash. You can be Speedy too. It's not like Mia's around right now."

"Okay, call me Speedy then."

It was Damian's turn to frown. "I think I prefer Kid Arrow."

"Well I'm gonna follow in my dad's footsteps," Lian said, challenge heavy in her tone. "Now what else?"

Damian remained quiet for a moment, clearly weighing whether he wanted to react to her tone and body language or not. He didn't address her comment, but his irritation came through in his next instructions.

"I need your word that you understand that you are the weakest link in our trio. You have no experience, you are an amateur fighter, and you have the highest emotional investment in this mission, meaning you are the easiest to manipulate," Damian said, provoking a scowl from Lian. "If your situation makes you vulnerable, Impulse is to bring you back here where you'll be safe. I won't help unless you agree to those terms."

Lian stared at him in shock. "You…Dami, that's-"

"Robin. We're in costume. Stick to code names please, Speedy."

Lian pressed her lips together and inhaled deeply through her nose, waiting for her irritation to pass. It didn't go away, but luckily Damian had trained her on how to put that angry energy to good use. "Fine. If it looks like I'm starting to lose it, I'll let Impulse drag me away. But I want a say in when I'm losing it."

Damian and Irey traded a look, and then Damian slowly nodded. Lian whipped around and tried to read her friend's face, but Irey had already shifted firmly into Impulse-mode. And whereas Impulse was definitely a cheery superhero, she was also a seasoned veteran at sixteen. If she didn't want Lian to know something, Lian wasn't going to find out.

She just hoped her friend was backing her and not their de facto leader.

*******

"Ah-ha-ha-hem. Oh here comes the bride…all dressed in lime! Dum dum da dum dum…something, something…wedding!" Harley trilled as she walked into the basement cell, throwing plastic flower petals on the floor in front of her. She was wearing a red satin gown and had her thick blond hair piled on top of her head in a hideously gaudy updo, with a black rose surrounded by three joker cards pinned into it.

Jade trudged into the room on her heels wearing her normal green costume and holding a syringe. "Will you cut it out Quinn? I told you, this is not a wedding."

"But you said after you give him that injection his will'll be gone and then he'll be yours forever! It's almost the same thing. Hey, where'd the groom go?"

"What?" Jade's voice was like ice, and Harley took a cautious step back.

"Um…well last time I saw him he was almost passed out in a heap right there."

"And where are Pamela's vines?" Jade asked, rounding on Harley with a white knuckled grip on the syringe.

"It, uh, it didn't look like we needed 'em no more so I…I loosened 'em up and…I mean he looked really weak Chesh."

"You imbecile! I've told you a thousand times, Red Arrow has more immunity to my toxins than anyone else alive! That's why I needed to use Ivy's work as well as my own! He was faking it, and only a fool like you would fall for something so basic!"

"But Chesh-"

"Just find him. He was still weakened, even if not as much as you believed, so he couldn't have gotten far." Jade punched a hole through the door to one of their storage units, which was incidentally only an inch or so from Harley's face. She eeped, then ran off to change into a costume. Jade capped the syringe, stowed it in her costume, and then ran off to find her hostage.

Meanwhile, Jade's assessment about Roy's condition was right on the mark. He hadn't been able to drag himself very far at all, but it was far enough to be out of Jade and Harley's line of sight when they'd gotten back. He was in the storage unit Jade had vented her frustrations on, and he'd found some interesting things there.

He was holding a metal tray with the dissected remains of one of Poison Ivy's homebred monstrous plants, which gave him a sneaking suspicion that Ivy herself was not a willing participant in Jade's project. From everything he'd heard about the psychotic freak, she wouldn't sacrifice a plant life like that.

He set the tray back onto the shelf he'd grabbed it from, then opened a binder of notes he'd found on the floor under it. Best case scenario, he'd be able to decipher Jade and Ivy's jargon and figure out how to whip up an antidote for himself before they found him.

Worst case, he'd try to have something fun to throw at them instead.

*******

Lian was starting to think Damian had lied to her, and that he was just distracting her in the hopes that someone else would find her dad for her while they were sitting on a rooftop literally doing nothing.

Well, to be fair, she and Irey were doing nothing and Damian was staring at his smartphone (or a comm device; he was hunched over it so protectively that she couldn't identify it for sure).

"Hey Robin…you do realize my dad could be dead by now, right?"

"That seems somewhat unlikely. If your mother only wished to murder him, she could have accomplished the feat in a more direct and assured manner. Instead she chose to take him hostage. She had to have a reason for taking him alive. Cheshire is…among many other things, efficient and purpose driven."

"And psychotic. She tried to kill me and I'm her daughter. Excuse me if I'm not overjoyed at my dad's prospects in her clutches," Lian snapped. "Now can we do something?"

"I am doing something," Damian snapped back.

Irey rested her hand on Lian's shoulder. "I know you probably don't want to hear this hon, but this actually is what superhero work is like. Even us speedsters don't rush around without info. Robin's finding our mark, and when we have it we'll go. But we can't just run around the city without a target. We'd just waste time like that."

"But couldn't you, like, search all the buildings at superspeed?" Lian asked, feeling some desperation.

Irey smiled sadly and shook her head. "I could run through every room in the city in about an hour, but if you wanted me to actually look for anything it'd take me a few days. Gotham is big, Speedy. Trust us on this. Just wait for Robin to rock his detective magic, okay?"

Lian grumbled something under her breath and went back to pacing around the rooftop.

"Movement," Damian announced. Lian and Irey rushed over to his side and peered at his comm screen.

"Are you stalking Nightwing?" Lian asked.

"He's been working on this case for at least six hours longer than us. If he doesn't have a reliable lead by now then he's slipping. We can just follow him to our target."

"Oh. Well then let's get stalking," Lian said with a sigh.

Irey giggled at something, and Lian turned a questioning gaze her way. "Sorry, it's just…the Bats really are as creepy as everyone says, aren't they?"

Damian made an exasperated noise, but chose not to comment. He stowed his comm device and grappled off the rooftop. Lian jumped on Irey's back, and they followed after him on the streets below.

*******

Roy wasn't nearly as far as he would have liked to have been through the binder when he heard the menacing sounds of high heeled boots scuffing against the cement floor, in that he still hadn't figured out how to put any of the plant remains he'd found to any kind of use. He went as still as possible, even keeping breathing to a minimum.

It didn't help. Jade whipped the wooden door open and he fell backwards out of the storage unit and landed sprawled at her feet. He didn't stay that way for long however, springing up into a crouching position and then jumping back a few feet.

Jade charged forward and aimed a powerful kick at him. She caught the side of his face, and the one hit was enough to take him down. He hit the ground hard, white spots dancing in his vision.

Looking like furious scorn incarnate, Jade stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle. The plant vines sprang out from the cracks in the wall and wound around him, much more tightly than before. He was probably going to lose circulation in his remaining limbs.

"Did you learn something from that exercise in futility Roy?"

"Actually, yeah. I learned that Ivy didn't sign on for you using her gear. Do you know what you're doing Jade? Or better yet, does she?"

Jade narrowed her eyes. "I know more than enough to accomplish what I set out to do. I've transformed Ivy's crude aphrodisiacs into the perfect formula for an obedient partner. As for the brilliant Dr. Isley…she's gotten over a year of dedicated services from me. I think that squares us."

"I think that's horse shit, and she'd say so too if she saw the fucked up plants in that closet. She's not gonna let that go Jade."

"Harper, will you kindly quit your attempt to stall me and just shut up? No one's coming to your aid darling. Now for once, do something constructive in your life and submit to my love for us."

For the first time since this hellish ordeal had begun, Roy was finally starting to feel true fear. He didn't understand a lot of what he'd read in that notebook, but he'd gotten enough of it to know that when Jade stuck that shit in his veins the game was over. His future as Jade's personal puppet would be assured.

"Hey Chesh!" Harley yelled down the stairs. "We got problems!"

"Oh for heaven's…what is it Quinn?" Jade bellowed.

"Company! Of the spandex variety!"

Jade had just pulled the syringe from a hidden pocket in her costume. She looked down at it pensively. "I really shouldn't leave you without observation after administering this…"

Roy let out a relieved breath.

"But I suppose that's a risk I'll have to take."

And then she stabbed him in the neck.

*******

Selina's info was, of course, perfectly on target. According to her sources, Cheshire had purchased an abandoned Asian themed spa from the Broker and transformed the upper floors into a silk upholstered, carved jade trinket filled, gold trimmed nightmare with actual tigers roaming, and even a few giant pandas in a pen out back.

Dick stared at the pandas for a few minutes, wondering how he'd missed out on hearing about beloved endangered animals like those going missing. He gave himself a little shake, then went back to breaking into the hideout. He found it reassuring that according to Selina's info Cheshire and Poison Ivy seemed to have gone their separate ways. Cheshire was unpredictable and dangerous enough without having to keep his eyes out for monstrous plants or Ivy's very deadly poisons and aphrodisiacs.

Then he noticed the vine curling around his ankle. He tried to fight it off, but it had gotten too much of a grip at that point, and others started joining it. Dick struggled against them, and was met with a boot to the face.

"Whaddya doing peeping in our begonias ya jerk!" Harley yelled. She was getting ready to aim another kick at him, when suddenly all of the vines around Dick were cut loose by a volley of batarangs. Harley eeped and ran for the door while an arrow whizzed towards her head. She ducked just in time, and it stuck in the wall behind her.

She ran back into the building screaming for Cheshire.

Dick did a few nimble flips to get out of reach of the plants, then pulled the dead vines off of him. By the time he was finished Robin, Impulse, and Lian Harper had joined him.

"What the hell-is that Babs' shirt?"

"Code names Uncle Nightwing," Lian said with a smirk.

"Okay…are you supposed to be Bat-dirty-laundry or something?"

"Speedy," she said with an eye roll. "Now let's go inside and get Daddy, kay?"

"Wait." Dick placed a hand over her chest as she tried to run forward, and the other kids flanked her. "You can't go in there."

"You're not going to stop me."

"Oh I very much am. If only because Red Arrow would kill m-" And then she grabbed his arm and threw him over her shoulder. It only worked because he wasn't expecting it (and honestly wouldn't have thought the short little teen could pull it off even if he had). He landed on the ground with a groan, and when he looked up again the kids were already charging into the hideout.

"Dammit!" Dick hauled himself to his feet and took off after them.

The first room he ran through was empty so he charged into the next one and almost wet himself, but then his perception caught up to him and he realized the enormous tigers on the floor were already unconscious (with trick arrows in their necks).

Dick gingerly tip toed around them, not wanting to risk it just in case whatever Lian had dosed them with wasn't strong enough to keep them under, and he only breathed normally when he was in the next room. He found Harley dangling from a wall sconce, trussed up in a grapple with a bat symbol sticker over her mouth.

He was still annoyed about Damian and Irey rushing Lian into such a charged and dangerous battle when she'd never done any crime fighting before, but there was no denying that the three teenagers worked well together.

Dick looked around the room, not sure where to go next (there were no more convenient kicked open doors to follow), when he heard screams coming from below. He looked around the room wildly, then ran back into the room he'd come from, went through an archway into a room with more unconscious tigers, and bolted down to the basement.

Cheshire was doing battle with all three teens at once, and doing a fair job of it to boot. Lian was firing arrows with impressive rapidity and skill. Her aim wasn't quite up to par with her family's, but she was close (and with the way Cheshire moved, Dick wasn't entirely sure that Roy or Ollie could have hit her either). Damian was locked in hand to hand combat with her, and Irey was darting in with the occasional superspeed fueled hit.

Dick watched them dazedly for a moment, not sure how to intervene in a way that would help the kids without throwing them off their game. His initial assessment had been understated; they worked amazingly well together. His teams had taken years to build up that kind of silent communication and anticipation.

Then Irey crumpled to the ground with an arrow sticking out of her side. Another one landed in her thigh, a third landing in the opposite calf. Dick ran for her while Damian dodged away from Cheshire and threw himself in front of Lian. "Daddy, what are you doing?!" she yelled, because of course it was Roy standing behind them, coolly nocking another arrow into place.

With a stereotypically evil grin, Cheshire strutted over to him and raked her hand down his chest. Dick stared at Roy, not in horror the way Lian was, but studiously, taking in changes. He was still wearing the clothes he'd been abducted in, but he'd put in his robotic arm. He looked terrible (sickly pallor, smudges under his eyes, dried blood caked in his hair), but also unconscious of it. His face was entirely impassive.

"What do you want me to do Jade?" he asked in a low voice that sounded nothing like him.

Irey was gasping and whimpering in pain. "N-nightwing…m'gonna heal around th-the arrows," she squeaked.

"Is it too much to hope you'll let the kids go?" Dick asked.

"Fuck that! I'm not leaving here without Dad!" Lian yelled.

Cheshire arched a brow. "Darling, you've got to teach her not to use such crude language. From now on, set a better example."

"If you wish."

Dick squinted, and was just able to make out a pinprick on Roy's neck. He silently prayed that whatever Cheshire had done to him was reversible.

"And Lian, dear, of course you're not leaving here without your father. I'm taking you with us. And your boyfriend too, if you'd prefer."

"We're not-"

"Robin, is that really the most important thing going on right now? And stop covering me!" Lian yelled. She smacked him upside the head then moved in front to face her parents. "What the flying fuck did you do to Daddy! You're going to hear me swear a whole hell of a lot more if you don't fix him right now!"

Jade narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps I'll work up another batch for you. You have far too much of his spirit as is. Roy, kill Nightwing while I talk to the children."

"If you wish."

Dick had been edging towards them, but he sprang up and leapt aside as arrow after arrow whizzed where he'd been standing. He heard Lian yell and Damian snarl in rage, but he couldn't see what was going on. If he took his attention from Roy for a second the man would accomplish his objective. Ollie hadn't nicknamed him Speedy for nothing, and Dick hadn't practiced against him since they'd been in the Outsiders together. He wasn't used to battling with Roy anymore, and a practice battle against someone with a no-kill preference was completely different from a brainwashed-by-a-supervillain fight.

Dick managed to get a hit on Roy while he was reaching for another arrow, throwing him off balance enough that he was able to slash at his quiver with a batarang. He cut through the strap, sending arrows clattering to the floor. Then Roy punched him with the robotic arm and Dick saw stars. When his vision cleared Roy grabbed his hair with his organic hand and smashed his head into the wall.

And his face was still entirely impassive.

He smashed Dick's head into the cement wall again and then threw him across the room. He landed in a heap on the ground, groaning and clutching at his head. Roy kicked him in the ribs, and Dick cried out as he felt at least one of them crack. Then Roy put his cold, metal hand to Dick's throat and squeezed.

He clawed at Roy's metal arm helplessly, but he had no real hope of fighting him off. Vic had designed that arm, for fuck's sake. If the owner didn't want it to unclench, it wasn't going to unclench.

Dick stared at Roy's cold face, taking a bizarre comfort in the fact that the last thing he was going to see before he died was his longtime lover and friend's dark green eyes.

Then suddenly Roy's grip loosened. The hand was still on his throat, but it wasn't squeezing anymore and he could breathe again. He rasped out a painful breath, forcing himself to suck in the desperately needed air around his abused windpipe.

"Fight it Roy," Dick croaked. He could see Roy's facial muscles ticking as he fought off Cheshire's influence. He'd gone paler, and there was sweat dripping down his face. Dick was afraid to risk prying the metal arm off his neck, lest that trigger something and make Roy finish his task, but he'd been clutching at it anyway, so he wound his fingers through Roy's cold, artificial ones. "Fight her. Lian needs you."

"Lian…" Roy squeezed his eyes shut, face pained.

"And so do I." Dick wasn't even conscious of thinking it until the words left him, but they were true. They always found their way back together; there had to be a reason for that.

Roy grabbed his metal arm with his organic one and wrenched it out with an angry squelching noise. It certainly had never sounded anything like that when he did it properly. He threw the arm across the room, then crouched over with his head in his hand. "Oh my god. Oh hell. Oh hell, I almost killed you. I…dude, I kicked your ass."

Dick sat up and rubbed at his neck. "Back to yourself are we?"

"Well I did."

"I was a bit distracted. Roy, Impulse is hurt and Cheshire has Lian and Robin. We've gotta move."

"Do you have backup?" Roy asked. "What are the kids doing here anyway?"

"I'm not s-"

Dick was interrupted by Cheshire being thrown down the stairs. She landed in a graceless heap, limbs akimbo, clearly unconscious. Calmly, as though nothing in the room held the slightest interest to her, Poison Ivy walked down into the basement, looked disdainfully at the whimpering speedster huddled on the ground, smirked at the battered ex-Titans, and then continued her sweep of the room.

"Hm. Oh babies…" She rubbed her hip in a circular motion, and suddenly all manner of vines and other plants slithered out from every corner of the room to wind themselves around her limbs. Once she'd collected all of her plants she walked back towards the stairs, spit on Cheshire, and left.

"Well that was weird," Dick said.

"I knew she was going to regret pissing off Poison Ivy."

Roy helped Dick to his feet and they lurched over to Irey. "Oh hell. Wally and Linda are gonna have my ass. Impulse, I'm really sorry."

"S'okay!" Irey chirped, face pale and eyes watering from the pain. "It really does hurt though. Can you call my Dad?"

"Of course." Dick reached for his JL comm, but he was interrupted by Lian and Damian walking back downstairs.

Damian had a huge gash over his eye and his costume was torn in several places, but otherwise he looked fine. Lian didn't have a scratch on her.

"Poison Ivy just beat the hell out of Mom, grabbed Harley Quinn while she was still tied up, and then she left. Is that normal?"

Dick shrugged. "It's not abnormal. At least, not for her."

"Lian what the fuck are you wearing?!" Roy screamed.

Then Lian ran forward and, with an excited squeal, threw her arms around his neck. "Oh Daddy, you're okay!"

Still looking thoroughly freaked out, Roy patted at her back with his arm, and then reluctantly settled into a proper hug.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they're on again! Also, Roy and Dick debate how much Connor would miss Ollie if he were murdered by his ex-sidekick.

Chapter Twenty Three

"I don't think you're going to be able to wear your prosthetic for at least a week. You really screwed up what was left of your real arm when you ripped it out."

"I was using what little bit of my willpower I'd regained to not kill you," Roy snapped.

Dick regarded him with a cool stare, then poked the inflamed flesh with his pointer finger. Roy let out a cry of pain and almost fell off the medical cot. "I'll let everyone know you won't be available for team ups for at least a week."

"Oh fuck…that really hurt you jack ass!"

"Cry me a river." He pointedly reached for the mug of tea Alfred had fetched him after seeing the bruises on his neck.

They were in the Batcave tending to injuries. Roy had already been looked at by a few experts up at the Watchtower, and received a clean bill of mental health. Jade's mind control serum had been powerful initially, but resisting it once substantially weakened its overall effects, it seemed. Dr. Mid-Nite had said something about an emotionally powerful shock doing the trick, and Roy and Dick had both been visibly uncomfortable since then.

Irey had gone up to the Watchtower too, needing more medical care than they could administer in the Batcave, but it had also been a quick fix. They'd left her waiting for her uncle to come and get her (and Roy had been incredibly anxious to be gone before Barry showed up). Damian's cut had been taken care of long before they got back to the Cave. Alfred informed them that Damian and Lian were taking a walk together.

Dick was glad that Roy had left them to it, though a little surprised. He'd really thought they were going to be in for it when Roy saw Lian running around in a superhero costume (even a poorly assembled one). Still though, it was good that he was letting Lian and Damian talk.

Plus they needed to talk.

Dick handed Roy an icepack and then sat down next to him on the cot. "I'm sorry I poked it. I just wanted to make sure you were taking it seriously."

Roy slapped the icepack over his swollen arm stub and let out a relieved sigh. "It's okay. Sorry I, uh, tried to kill you."

"Hey, that part wasn't your fault."

Roy turned to look at him, an angry, defensive scowl on his face. "And how was any of that mess my fault?"

"Oh please. I told you that letting Cheshire have visits was a bad idea. And you didn't listen to me!"

"Well why do you care anyway? I thought you were done with me."

It was probably a terrible idea to have anything like this conversation now, while they were both exhausted, emotionally spent, and freaked out. Dick knew he needed to say some pretty important things, but he reconsidered how pressing they were. He could take some time to cool off, then show up in a few days when they were recovered (and Roy didn't have Lian's premature costumed debut nagging at him), and they could have a calm, collected chat. And maybe Dick would even know what he wanted to say by then.

And yet, knowing that, Dick still couldn't keep his mouth shut. "You're the one that gave me the 'move to Kansas or else' ultimatum."

"That wasn't what I said."

"How was that not what you said? You said you weren't leaving Kansas and that the relationship was pointless if I didn't move in with you," Dick snapped. Then he hunched over and put his head in his hands. "And so help me god, I've been considering it."

"What, really?" Roy asked, sounding bewildered.

"I really don't want to lose you." He sounded even more pathetic than he already felt because of his injured throat.

"I don't want to lose you either," Roy said. "Hell, that was what snapped me out of Jade's command. If she hadn't turned me against you, I'd probably still be her puppet. Dick? Will you look at me, please?"

"If I look at you right now I'm going to move to Kansas and I really don't want to."

He had a life he loved in New York, and besides that, he just didn't want to make himself that vulnerable to another human being. It never seemed to work out (Roy had just dumped him over one bad conversation, after all), and with his issues he liked the freedom of being able to leave for his own place and pretend he was a secure, independent man who didn't need to cling to other people to feel a sense of self-worth.

Roy leaned over and touched Dick's cheek, and after a few minutes of soft caresses he was able to coax him into sitting up and looking at him. "I don't want you to move to Kansas if it's just going to make you miserable. I don't even like it there. I did think that having you with me would make it more bearable though."

"You like New York," Dick breathed.

Roy nodded. "I do. But…look, you remember how often I used to move Lian around when she was little. It was awful, and it was starting to screw her up. Kids need structure, you know? And I didn't really get it, and I put my needs first, and I was hurting her. Dick…she's doing so good in Keystone. She loves her school, she's got lots of friends, and we've lived in the same house for months now. That's never happened before. I want to give her this. I owe her so much more than that. Does that…do you get it yet?"

"Then can we keep doing long distance? Because I will abuse the hell out of my Watchtower teleportation privileges if that's what it takes. I'm not above that, and neither are you."

Roy laughed, and pulled Dick close for a tender kiss. "I'm sorry I was such a stubborn ass the other night. I can stick out the long distance for a little longer."

"Oh thank god."

"Someone's getting awfully clingy all of a sudden."

"Just shut up and kiss me before I poke your arm stub again."

*******

Meanwhile, Damian was in an unfamiliar and decidedly uncomfortable situation. He'd suggested taking Lian for a walk through the grounds, figuring she'd enjoy the scenic beauty and also thinking it was a good idea to give Dick and Roy some time alone together. From everything he'd gathered, Roy wasn't comfortable with Lian suiting up yet (though to be fair, no one aside from Lian herself seemed comfortable with it).

Dick was a highly diplomatic person. Damian had watched Dick guilt, prod, or manipulate Bruce into doing as he wished (though Nightwing was never able to achieve the same results with Batman), and he himself had felt the effects of Dick's meta human-level social abilities. There was no denying Dick had a soothing effect on Harper. Given enough time alone with his boyfriend, Roy shouldn't feel the need to punish his daughter for essentially being concerned about him.

That had been Damian's goal, but he hadn't given thought to what the walk itself would entail. Now he found himself in the intimidating situation of being alone with the young teen and trying to make conversation with her.

Admittedly, Lian didn't seem the least bit phased by the task. After chattering about how well Irey was recovering from multiple arrow wounds and expressing some friendly jealously over her speed-healing, she started discussing school and how she was looking forward to her upcoming English class. She told Damian about all of the books she'd read for summer reading (owing to his horrible experience at her grandfather's house, he refrained from expressing his opinion of Siddhartha), and then she asked him how his home schooling was going.

"Oh, I've finished. I've begun online classes for an associate's degree."

For some reason, Lian found that news troubling. "So you're…never going to go to school? Not even for college?"

"I don't see any reason to. I'm much better at instructing myself than any educator I've met, and doing the work at home allows me more time to focus on crime fighting."

"I guess but…don't you ever do anything fun? Like just for yourself, not because it's good for you?"

Damian looked at her blankly. "What's the purpose of doing an activity with no benefit?"

"For psychological health," Lian returned.

Damian considered that. "I don't think I need a hobby though. I fight crime, I exercise, and I read. Those things satisfy me."

"I dunno Dami. I worry about you sometimes. You're a really lonely kid."

"I'm not lonely just because I often spend my time alone. I'm a solitary person. The quality of the company I keep is more important than the quantity."

Lian smiled at him. "I suppose that's a compliment for me then, since you've let me into your little circle. That makes it, what…me, Dick, and your dad?"

Damian frowned. "I suppose that is a rather small circle." He wouldn't have included his father, since he rarely confided things of a personal nature to the man.

They were slowly making their way back towards the house, but every time they got near enough to head inside Lian saw something that she wanted to admire, lengthening their walk. Damian wondered if she had something else she wanted to talk to him about, or if she was just avoiding the inevitable confrontation with her father. It didn't occur to him that she was simply enjoying his company.

Finally, she sat down on a garden bench and took a bracing breath. "Alright, we should probably talk about that thing my mom said."

"If you feel we must." He was curious to see what Lian had made of it, though he'd have rather discussed it in a less personal manner, such as an e-mail. Frankly, he wondered if having partial parental approval had hurt his chances with the girl, as he'd come to understand that most young people found parental disapproval of their chosen mates titillating.

"Do you find it as weird as I do that Mom…likes you?"

"I did find that a touch unusual, yes. She seemed disappointed when we told her we weren't dating, and where I'm so much older than you-"

"Yeah, well her priorities are in the wrong places. Mom's a little fucked up, I guess. I dunno. I didn't get to know her that well or anything, since apparently she was locked up or wanted by multiple countries for heinous crimes for most of my childhood."

"I can sympathize. My mother is also a shining disappointment."

Lian looked up at him, sadness and some curiosity in her lovely green eyes. "I don't really know a whole lot about your mom. Is she…is it really anything like this? It's just, I mean, it's not that I want you to have a weird ass broken family like mine but…I don't know anyone else who's gone through this kind of stuff."

"You mean having your mother fixate on your father to such a degree that not only does she not hear the words 'not interested', but she uniquely violates him bodily through dangerous experimentation? Lian, that's how I was born."

"Has she ever tried to kill you?"

"I don't think she ever put all her effort into it, but she's made some halfhearted attempts in order to show her displeasure with my life choices." He went over the time she'd had his spine removed so she could wire him and have his movements controlled remotely, and then handed the controls to a supervillain with a vendetta against Dick.

"Wow, I'm sorry. This is terrible, really, it's just…"

Damian sat down next to her on the bench and took her hand. "I understand."

He truly did, and she smiled warmly in appreciation.

The next two years couldn't pass soon enough.

*******

"And then, and then Lian was like 'we're here for my dad you-' oh wait, I'm not gonna tell you exactly what she said, but trust me, it was really tough and scary. And then her mom said something evil and super villainy, and Damian had the perfect witty rejoinder, and then we were all like-"

"Irey, I'm glad you had a good time with your friends, but can you please calm down?" Linda asked.

"Sorry Mom." Irey sat down at the kitchen table and folded her hands, trying to look like a patient, dutiful daughter. Meanwhile, her legs were vibrating with barely contained energy to the point that they were blurry from frantic movement.

Linda sighed, and turned back to the salad she was tossing. "So does this mean that you're going to start doing team-ups with the other kids?"

"I dunno," Irey said, frowning thoughtfully. "Mr. Harper had kittens when he saw Lian wearing spandex. I guess he doesn't want her suiting up until she's sixteen. But she's the youngest one of us. By the time she's sixteen I'll be eighteen, and Damian'll be in his twenties. It won't really be the Teen Titans if our leader's an adult."

"Couldn't one of you girls be the leader?"

Irey snorted at that. "Damian's Robin, Mom. Obviously he's the leader. You just don't get it."

"No, I suppose I don't. I do understand why Roy doesn't want his daughter throwing herself in harm's way when she's young and untrained-"

"She's not untrained! Besides, I started fighting crime as Impulse when I was eight."

"And you've got the strongest connection to the speed force on record aside from Uncle Barry, and you've always had your older, experienced relatives looking out for you. The Arrow Family is spread out across the country sweetie. It's not exactly the same support system we've got here. Besides that, Roy's already lost her once. Just…don't pressure them about it. If Roy lets her take on the costume a little earlier than he expected, that will be wonderful for you, but I'm sure it'll be hell for him."

"I know, I know. I hope he does change his mind though. Lian's my best friend. I really want her to be on my first superhero team. Besides, she speaks Damian. We're gonna need her."

"Sweetheart, would you mind setting the-"

"Finished," Irey said. Linda turned around and counted the place settings.

"We need two more. Iris and Barry are coming over tonight."

"Oh, okay." Irey put a table setting in Jai's usual place, set one up in the spot next to it, then went and got an extra chair from the garage. When she finished she gazed sadly at Jai's usual seat. She didn't realize how transparent she was being until her mother came up behind her and squeezed her shoulder.

"Piper went and saw him today while your father and I thought we were keeping an eye on Lian."

Irey still felt a bit bad about sneaking out of the house, but her parents had only scolded her mildly for it. Irey had spun the story so that it sounded like she had been instrumental in saving Lian's father from her psycho mother, as opposed to a role that could be more accurately summarized with the word pin cushion.

"How's Jai doing?" Irey asked.

"Piper wasn't exactly sure. I guess Jai finally shut down on him too. I don't know what we're…anyway, I think we should all go visit him tomorrow. Maybe you could spend a little time alone with him."

"I'd like that," Irey said, trying to smile for her mother's sake. Whereas she did want to see her twin, she also didn't want to have her fears that they'd grown apart too much for her to reach him confirmed. She was afraid of looking at Jai and not seeing her brother, but a stranger in pain that she couldn't help.

"Hey Mom…do you mind if I run over and see if Lian's back from Gotham yet? I wanna talk to her for a bit before dinner. Y'know, if that's okay."

"That's fine sweetie. Try to be back in a half hour."

"Kay. Thanks Mom." Irey gave her a hug, then took off for the Harpers'.

*******

Roy and Lian kept finding excuses not to talk about the costume. First they busied themselves with their Bats, and then Irey needed some heart to heart time to talk about her brother, and then it just wasn't pressing. They fell into their routine again.

Well, something like their routine. Roy gave their security system an upgrade and he started sleeping with his prosthetic and a bow by his bed for when Jade inevitably broke herself out of jail, and he revoked Lian's right to walk to school when it started back up again.

Lian freaked out about it, but as she was entering high school she was finally attending the same school as Irey and Jai, and Irey had just gotten her license (Jai's hospitalization had gotten in the way of that). Irey wanted to give her friend rides, and even though Roy didn't like it he couldn't articulate an argument against it. Irey was a superhero, after all, and he did trust the girl.

Weeks went by, and they still hadn't brought it up, something Roy found encouraging. Maybe it would be a non-issue. Maybe Lian had only suited up because he was in danger, and she didn't plan on doing it again until she was sixteen (they'd had a talk about it when he'd gotten her a new bow shortly after her resurrection; he realized she wanted to train and follow in her family's footsteps, but he wasn't comfortable with her inviting that kind of danger until she was older, and they'd negotiated from eighteen to sixteen).

Then he came back from the grocery store one sunny afternoon and found a strange car parked in the driveway. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be a rental, and he felt his stomach churn.

Somehow, he just knew before he walked through the door that Ollie had invited himself over for an extended stay.

Sure enough, he found his former mentor sitting on the living room sofa eating pizza (without a plate) while Lian lounged on the floor with her own greasy nightmare, discussing his ill-informed liberal politics while she listened with interest.

Roy had been planning on making them chicken alfredo for supper, with steamed broccoli for a side dish.

"Hey Ollie." He just managed to stop himself from following the greeting with 'what the hell are you doing here?'

"Hey kiddo," Ollie answered. He sat back and propped his feet on the coffee table, and a gob of cheese fell off the pizza and landed on the couch as he did so.

Cringing, Roy brought the groceries into the kitchen. There were three suitcases sitting by the table.

Deciding to be the bigger man about it, Roy put away the ingredients for the supper he'd planned along with the other groceries and then went into the living room with a few plates and helped himself to some of the pizza. He politely listened as Ollie updated him on how Hal, Connor, and Mia were all doing (Connor had just moved in with his new girlfriend, apparently, something Roy had thought he'd never live to see) before he finally asked how long Ollie was planning on staying.

"Not really sure. You don't mind, do you? Because I can get a hotel if you want."

"That's just stupid!" Lian said. "C'mon Grandpa, we've got lots of space here. Daddy, you don't want Grandpa Ollie to get a hotel, do you?"

Oh how desperately did he want Grandpa Ollie to take his shit out of the house and get a hotel. "Of course not Peanut. I was just wondering how long you'd be using the guest bedroom."

"Why? You planning on hiding someone else in there?" Ollie asked with a laugh. "Naw, I suppose not. Any guests would just wind up in your bed with you, wouldn't they?"

Lian burst into giggles, and Roy scowled at him. "My guest usually does if he's going to spend the night, yeah."

And despite his best efforts, he was unable to get a clear answer out of Ollie about the duration of his visit.

*******

Roy reminded himself several times as the week progressed that he cared about Oliver Queen. A lot actually. He'd been really upset, devastated even, when Ollie had died, and thrilled to have him resurrected. They'd had a lot of issues, yeah, but they'd worked past them.

He liked Ollie. Really he did. Loved the guy like family.

The first full day of his visit, he took Lian out shopping and she came back with a pierced nose.

"She's fourteen Ollie!"

"You've got tattoos up both arms, er, well you did when you had both arms. Don't be such a hypocrite Roy. I think it looks cute."

"I didn't get my tattoos until I was an adult. This is different."

"Relax Daddy. Facial piercings aren't that big a deal anymore."

Roy pulled her aside and made it very clear that he didn't want her getting anymore facial piercings until she was older.

So the next day, she and Grandpa Ollie went out and she got her belly button pierced instead. "It's not on my face," Lian said smugly.

Then came the new tablet that Roy was supposed to buy her at the end of the year if she got good grades, and the video game system that was already sitting in his bedroom closet where it was supposed to stay until it could be her big Christmas present. Roy watched helplessly, trying to keep a lid on his temper, as his former mentor undermined him as a parent left and right, while also using his fortune to buy Lian every treat she even hinted at wanting.

By the end of the week he was fantasizing about using Ollie for target practice.

*******

Dick stayed away for the first week of Ollie's visit. It wasn't that he disliked Ollie, he explained, so much as he disliked being used in a passive aggressive battle between Ollie and Roy, which inevitably happened with any bystander when the two of them were together, and Dick wasn't in a position to benefit from it the way Lian was. Roy couldn't say he blamed him, but he also wasn't willing to make any excursions up to New York considering Ollie was putting holes in his baby girl.

So after a week Dick cracked and he swung by Keystone even though Ollie was still there.

A very frazzled looking Roy Harper let him into the house. He didn't even say anything, and his left eye was twitching.

Dick frowned. "That bad?"

"He wants to buy her a car. She was talking about the one Iris and Barry got Irey for her sixteenth birthday, and now he wants to get her a friggin' Prius."

"Uh…she's fourteen."

"Good, someone else gets my objection then? That's friggin' peachy. Come on in here and explain why a fourteen year old doesn't need a car." He all but dragged Dick into the living room, and Dick re-evaluated his decision to stay with Roy.

When they got in there, Ollie and Lian were off the subject of cars and onto the subject of horses. Dick feared for a moment that Roy was going to have a breakdown.

"Ollie…where would you even keep a horse in Keystone City?" Dick asked, hoping he sounded polite.

"Well there's gotta be a stable around here somewhere, right?"

"No," Roy said, even though Dick was fairly sure he actually had no idea.

"I think there's a bit more of an active equestrian community in Coast City. Why don't you stable a horse out there and Lian can ride it when she visits you?" Dick asked.

"That's not such a bad thought," Ollie said. "What do you think Princess?"

"I guess," Lian said with a pout.

Roy mouthed 'thank you' at Dick and squeezed his knee.

"But I really wanted a pet. Could I get a dog instead?"

Without a word Roy got up and went upstairs. For a moment Dick was torn between following after him or dissuading Ollie from buying Lian an animal without her father's permission. He settled on running after Roy, hoping against hope that Ollie and Lian wouldn't leave for the animal shelter while they were gone.

He found Roy in his bedroom, face down on the mattress with a pillow over his head. Dick sat down on the bed next to him, plucked the pillow away, and carded his fingers through Roy's hair. "I'm really sorry Roy. Roy? Are you crying?"

"No." Roy's voice was muffled by the mattress, but it was also trembling. "Maybe. Shut up."

"Oh Roy…"

"I try so damn hard to be a good father, and then he comes in and shits all over me and everything I'm trying to do for her and…and…he won't leave. I don't know what the hell is wrong with him, but he talked about being here for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Dick! Like, still here in two months Thanksgiving!"

"You usually do spend holidays together. Maybe he just meant that?"

Roy pushed himself off the mattress and then collapsed into Dick's arms. "God I hope so, because otherwise I'm going to be wanted for murder and Lian loves him so she might not forgive me. Connor will probably understand though. Wait…Connor."

"Will definitely have something to say if you murder his father," Dick said in a warning tone, even though he knew (well, he hoped) Roy was joking.

"No, I bet that's why he's here!" Roy shouted in sudden epiphany. "He's hiding from Connor! Remember last month when the kids and I went to his place for dinner? Damian kicked up that shit about how Connor was raised by a cult and not a bunch of gentle, loving Buddhists like we'd always thought."

"That's right," Dick said. "Damian was really upset about that. I think you guys traumatized him a little with your dysfunction."

"Eh, I'm sure our dysfunction rolled right off of his dysfunction's back. Anyway, I'll bet you anything Connor and Ollie still aren't back to normal over that, and he's probably hit a wall with the poor kid. I'm guessing that's why he's hiding here. Oh man, I gotta talk to Connor. It is his fucking turn. I'm done."

"Roy…" Dick said in a warning tone. "Why don't you try having a little compassion for your adoptive brother? I'm sure this isn't easy for him-"

"He should have compassion for me! I've been living with Ollie for over a week. The last time I lived with the guy I turned to drugs, Dick. Really, Connor should be worried about what he's doing to me."

"You turned to drugs when Ollie abandoned you," Dick snapped.

Roy narrowed his eyes. "I turned to heroin when Ollie abandoned me. I was smoking pot and taking acid and shrooms before that."

"And drinking pretty heavily…why did I used to make out with you again? Your mouth always tasted like a sleazy bar."

Roy grabbed Dick's head and pulled him close for a passionate, crushing kiss. He sucked his tongue into his mouth, drawing an indecent moan out of Dick as his eyes slid shut. He lightly bit Dick's lower lip before breaking the kiss and then grinned like the arrogant shit he was when he pulled away. "That's why you used to, and still, make out with me. Because I rock at it."

"Be that as it may, I'm glad you no longer taste like an ash tray that someone poured stale beer into."

Roy nuzzled against him. "Me too." He placed a few messy kisses on Dick's neck, while his hand skimmed under Dick's shirt.

"Your daughter and primary father figure are probably waiting for us to go back downstairs."

"I think Lian's got enough experience with us to know that once we're within sight of a bed we're not coming back until we've gotten off. C'mon Dick, I haven't seen you since, uhm, anyway it's been awhile and I've been having a miserable week."

Dick tilted his face up and indulged in a warm, lingering kiss. He pulled back just enough to speak, but their noses were still touching. "I know…and I'm sorry. But…the last time we really talked…Roy, we almost broke up. I still feel a little weird about it."

"Me too," Roy agreed. He sighed, and finally pulled away a little, keeping his hand to himself. "I'm sorry I dumped you. That ultimatum was pretty selfish. I just…I didn't expect you to say no."

"Really?" Dick asked, a bit surprised.

"Well yeah. I mean, otherwise I wouldn't have brought it up. I thought you were gonna…Dick, I'd really like to live with you. And I thought we were there."

If it weren't for the kids, they probably would be.

Dick frowned. He scooched over a little bit so he could reach over and squeeze Roy's hand. "There's something else. What is it Roy?"

"I…I guess I was just thrown off because, you know, when other people have offered you that kind of, of thing…the settled life, the responsibility, you went a little further down the path than you're willing to go with me."

Dick definitely didn't like where that was going. His first instinct was to get defensive, but he made an effort to hear what Roy was really saying. "When you say settled life…do you mean when I was engaged to Babs?"

"And Kory," Roy reminded him. He smirked bitterly. "You tried to marry both of your other red heads."

"Is that what you want?" Dick asked.

"I dunno. I mean kind of, but not really. I just…I mean, okay, you and me, we're boyfriends and we love each other, but we're also guy friends. We hang out even when we're not dating and it's, well it's different. I get it. When I'm with you it's really different from when I've dated girls."

Dick nodded. Sometimes they played with the gender roles that went with traditional relationships, but that was pretty rare. And in the absence of those gender roles, their dynamic did fall into a typical guy friendship when they weren't doing anything overtly romantic. He'd noticed that even back when they were teenagers.

"I just can't help but wonder if I'm as important to you as Babs and Kory, that's all," Roy said in a quiet, broken voice.

Dick didn't answer right away. He gave Roy a moment to compose himself after uttering possibly the most vulnerable thing he'd ever said to Dick in the many years they'd known each other, and Dick considered his answer. His knee-jerk reaction was to assure Roy that he was just as important as Babs and Kory, if not more so, but he owed Roy an honest answer. And he could only give him one if he was going to be honest with himself.

And if he was totally honest…even if he had married Kory, they'd probably be divorced by now. He cared for her, he always would…but in the long run they didn't work together. They had passion and affection, but that deeper connection was missing. Kory didn't share the same dreams he did. When they imagined their lives together, they imagined very different things.

But Babs…honestly, his heart ached for her so much that even if she did want a completely different life from him, he'd have followed her anyway. She just wouldn't have him. She was perfectly happy with Dinah, and he'd been spending the better part of the last ten years trying to let her go and heal his heart from that disappointment.

If she'd actually married him, he had no doubt in his mind that they'd still be together, and he probably would have contented himself with a good friendship with Roy.

Dick looked at Roy, the way he was hunched over on the bed, brow creased with worry, clearly at the end of his rope and laying himself bare, hoping he'd made the right choice in resuming a relationship that had suddenly become so complicated after months of smooth sailing. Dick loved him, he was sure of that. But did he love him the way Roy deserved?

In essence, would he fight to spend the rest of his life with this man?

Before he got a chance to answer, there was a knock on the bedroom door. "Daddy? Uncle Dick? Do you guys still have your pants on?"

Dick rolled his eyes and Roy let out an exasperated snort. "Yes our pants are on!"

"Good." Ollie banged the door open and they both walked in. "Your kid's hungry so I'm taking us all out for dinner. Now what's a good restaurant around here, and don't give me some faceless corporate chain. I want real food made by real people, not some over farmed genetically altered produce dripping in salmonella harvested by exploited laborers and coated in preservatives and poisons."

"Uh…there's an Indian place downtown that's pretty good," Roy said weakly.

"We were actually in the middle of-" Dick started, but he was cut off.

"Great. Get your shoes and your coats then. I already said I'm paying, and I'll even drive too. C'mon kiddos, let's move it. This girl's starving to death and so's her grandpa."

Ollie all but chased them out of the house, and as he sat in the backseat of Ollie's rental, staring longingly at the back of his boyfriend's head as Roy tried to navigate Ollie to a parking garage, Dick was second guessing his earlier advice about not murdering the emerald archer. If Roy was right, Connor Hawke might not even miss him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ollie finally goes home. Bruce's commitment issues make Dick and Roy's relationship look healthy in comparison.

Chapter Twenty Four

Roy was uncharacteristically quiet during the dinner, which was just odd because it seemed like Ollie was baiting him (because even the brash and tactless archer wasn't dense enough to miss how aggravating he was being). Lian frowned, watching as her father pushed things around on his plate, occasionally taking a bite without seeming to taste or even notice what he was eating.

She considered taking out her belly button piercing and letting it heal back up (but not the nose; the nose was too cute to lose). Maybe she'd taken things a bit too far the previous week. It was just difficult not to take advantage of her grandpa's generosity. That was how Oliver Queen showed his affection for his family, and the poor man always seemed to be carrying so much guilt: for being dead for so much of Lian's childhood, for never visiting her enough during those two years they'd both been alive at the same time, and, like everyone else she knew, for not being able to save her when Prometheus and the Electrocutioner brought Star City down on her head. If it made him feel better, she'd go on as many shopping trips as he wanted (and the stuff he bought her wasn't that bad either).

Lian was looking over the dessert menu when Ollie asked Roy to step outside. Dick practically jumped out of his chair. It was almost funny, how flustered and protective he looked. He finally managed to put a coherent sentence together, with one hand resting protectively on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Ollie, that might not be such a good idea-"

"It's just for a few minutes kiddo. You can lose that panicked look too. Do I need to remind you how long I've been driving this guy crazy? I still get invited to Christmas dinner every year anyway," Ollie said with a wink.

Roy smirked, and then mumbled something to Dick, got up, and the two archers went to stand outside.

Dick stared after Roy, brow creased with worry. Lian set the menu down and tried to smile reassuringly at him, though she found his concern too cute for words. "Don't worry Uncle Dick. If they were going to kill each other, they would have done it by now."

Dick snorted, then nodded his agreement. "Several times over, probably."

Meanwhile outside, Ollie fixed Roy with a penetrating light green stare, similar to Connor's but never capturing the easy compassion that came so naturally to the man's son. "Alright Harper, spill. What the hell's wrong?"

Roy quirked an eyebrow. "You have to ask? After everything you've been doing to me?"

"I've been undermining you to the princess for ages, and yeah you've slugged me for it a few times, but this shutting down thing…this isn't you, so what's really wrong? I've been trying to get you to liven up all dinner. Is this a new punishment for me? A psychological torture thing?"

Roy rolled his eyes. "It's not all about you Ollie. In fact, most things of importance in the world have nothing to do with you."

Ollie grinned. "That's more like you. For the record kid, your little girl really does respect you and your rules. Someone made her think that tattoos and piercings look attractive, and she wants to be covered in 'em someday. But she thought the nose and the belly button was as far as she could push you for now. And I was gonna take her down to the animal shelter tonight, but she said she wanted to wait for you to come downstairs and talk it over. I thought the dinner might soften you up and make you more talkative. You kinda shut down this week."

"Yeah, and you're all over the fucking place. Will you make up with your bio son already?" Roy snapped, dripping petulance.

Ollie looked a little stricken for a second, and then he laughed. "Put that together, did you? Christ Roy…I still haven't met Connor's girl properly and they're living together. I mean, I've seen her at the grocery store she works at, but she's never been over for dinner or anything important."

"Is he mad about the cult thing or is it more than that?"

"The cult thing is part of the same old hurt," Ollie said bitterly. "I don't know how to apologize for something I did almost three decades ago. I've been trying for the past decade and it hasn't been working."

"I can try talking to him again if you want," Roy offered.

Ollie shrugged. "Thanks kid, but Hal and Mia have already pleaded my case. I don't know if it'd help. Hal says he just needs time. I miss him though. Maybe it's because I had such a small part in his life, but the kid's pretty spectacular. I wish I had the right to be proud of him."

That was possibly the saddest thing Roy had ever heard his old mentor say, and it hit him hardest as a parent. Feeling like your kid had far surpassed you and all your flaws was a feeling Roy knew well, but it was a redeeming feeling for him. Lian had brought purpose to his life, and pride. Maybe he'd made lots of mistakes, but he'd learned from them and used them to create and nurture a child that he loved and was fiercely proud of. He couldn't imagine how much it would hurt to just have the shame and regret without feeling like you were a part of the kid's successes.

"Ollie…I'm really sorry. But Connor does love you too. You guys'll work through this."

"I really hope so kid," Ollie said, smiling bitterly. "So enough about me. I dragged you out here because I was worried about you. If you're not holding yourself in check so you don't beat the ever living shit out of me, what is it? I really thought I'd been the one to piss you o-Nightwing. Something going on with you and your bird then?"

Suddenly, everything had become so ridiculously melancholy that Roy just had to laugh at it. Ollie stared at him, concerned for his mental health from the looks of it, but he joined in for a chuckle. When Roy could speak again, he filled Ollie in on the nature of the conversation he'd interrupted.

"Oh geeze, no wonder you guys have been trying to kill me with your eyes. Why don't I take the princess out for the night and the two of you can finish whatever it is you need to say in private?"

"It's okay Ollie. I'm emotionally spent at this point. Dick's had too much time now to stew in his thoughts and make the worst of whatever he was initially going to say to me. I'm sure the next time we're alone together he's just going to dump me or something, and frankly I'd like to avoid that and let the delusion that I could possibly be his one last a little longer."

"He's your one then?" Ollie asked. Roy nodded. "You're sure? Not Diana's little sister, or any of those other girls I remember you chasing after?"

"I've been in love with Dick since I was sixteen. I've just never felt good enough for him until now."

Ollie nodded approvingly. "Well the guy's got my blessing, for all that's worth. Here's hoping his screwed up Bat-brain hasn't over-complicated things too much. I still think I should take Lian out and give you guys some time alone to talk. Wait, better yet, you guys go out. I'll keep an eye on her at the house."

"Ollie, you really don't have to-" but as Roy spoke, Ollie pulled out his wallet and handed Roy a credit card. It was more than a little tempting to max out that card as payback for everything Roy had been putting up with that week. He pocketed the card, and then the two men went back inside to rejoin Dick and Lian.

*******

Lian followed her oddball little family out of the restaurant with a doggy bag containing her leftovers and dessert, wondering what was going to happen now that dinner was over. She knew the tension had to break at some point, and wondered if she'd be around to see it.

Apparently not. Ollie dropped Roy and Dick off in an artsy neighborhood in downtown Keystone that was undergoing revitalization. It was full of cute little shops and galleries; basically a great place to walk around with a date. Lian watched them go, feeling slightly confused (as did Dick, based on his initial expression), and then Ollie took off for her house.

Or, he was heading towards her house for as long as they were in sight of the lovers. Then he made a sudden turn. "Hey princess, you wanna look up the animal shelters in the area on your smartphone and check their hours?"

Lian frowned. "I don't think Daddy wants me to get a dog though."

"He didn't say no, and besides, it doesn't hurt to look. We'll take a few pictures and then see him try to say no to a cute little furry face. How's that sound?"

It sounded harmless enough…

Lian took out her phone and did as her grandpa suggested.

*******

"Are you sure you want to leave Ollie alone with Lian right now?" Dick asked.

"Not in the least, actually, but I do trust my kid. She knows how far she can push me. So…" Roy shoved his hand in his jacket pocket and started walking. Dick fell in step beside him, and did a good show of pretending to look into store windows like any of the other people crowding the sidewalks. His sharp blue eyes kept flicking over to Roy though. "Do you have an answer for me yet?"

Dick walked close beside him, leaned over, and whispered in his ear. "Yes. I want to stay with you, only you."

Roy's insides suddenly felt warm and wiggly, and if they hadn't been on a crowded street surrounded by strangers he probably would have given a go at doing a one armed hand stand. He contained his jubilation and forced it into a small smile. "Lucky me then. Okay, no more stupid ultimatums."

"Promise?"

Roy nodded.

Dick's eyes were shining. "Cool. Then I'll move to Kansas."

*******

Roy and Dick were gone for hours. By the time they made their slow progress up the front walk and towards the house it was nearly midnight. Roy had his hand at his side, and his fingers kept brushing up against Dick's.

He fished his keys out to unlock the front door, and as he did so he turned to look at Dick. "Are you gonna come in or do you need to take off?"

Dick checked the time on his cell. "I think I might as well skip patrol at this point. Is it okay if I crash here?"

"Course it is." He leaned in for a quick kiss and, still feeling euphoric in a way he rarely got to experience, Roy got his front door open and walked into the living room.

The euphoria instantly evaporated when he saw what was waiting for him.

"Daddy! Hi. We were-we were starting to think you weren't going to come home tonight. It's not what it looks like."

"Really?" Roy asked in a dangerous tone. "Because it looks an awful lot like you're wearing a superhero costume."

Dick had just walked into the living room, and upon catching sight of Lian standing in the center of the room sporting a tight fitting purple leather ensemble, black domino, and knee boots, he retreated and went upstairs.

Ollie was standing near Lian with measuring tape, and there was an open sewing kit and bags of material around them on the floor.

"And why shouldn't she have a costume?" Ollie snapped. "You said you were going to let her do it eventually anyway."

Instead of answering, Roy stomped upstairs. He passed his bewildered boyfriend as he made his way towards his bedroom. Roy reached around under the bed until he found his prosthetic, then he popped it in and went back downstairs. Ollie and Lian were in much the same position they'd been when he'd left, though Lian looked heartsick and guilty.

Then Roy grabbed Ollie by the collar with his metal arm and Lian looked terrified. "Daddy, what are you doing?!"

"Ro-urghk!"

Roy hauled Ollie out of the room, through the front hall, and threw him out the front door. The emerald archer was still sprawled on the concrete floor of their porch when his suitcases were chucked on top of him. Roy slammed the door shut and forcefully locked it, then he calmly removed the prosthetic, set it against the front door, and walked into the living room.

Lian had thrown a t-shirt on over her costume top by then and peeled off the domino mask. Tears were streaming down her face.

"Oh honey, please don't cry. Lian, I'm not mad at you, I swear." He darted forward and pulled her into a hug. Lian buried her face in his chest, small shoulders shaking with her sobs.

"I'm sorry Daddy, and I swear, it's not how it looked! I-I mean, I did want to…I wanted to have the costume done now just in case I had to use it, but I swear I still wasn't going to until I was sixteen, like you said. And Grandpa offered and-and we thought we could get it done before you were home…Daddy, I'm sorry."

"Why do you think you need a costume now?" Roy asked.

"Well…well Daddy…" He gently steered her towards the couch and handed her a box of tissues, and once she'd calmed a little she continued. "I just…I don't think it's an option for me to not be involved in costumed stuff. Everyone I really care about wears one, and when big things happen…I want to help."

"I get that sweetheart, but you're still so young."

"Younger people than me have put on costumes. Uncle Dick was way younger when he started."

"Mm hm. And we all know better than to let kids start at ten these days. Well, we made exceptions with Damian and Irey, but they were exceptional cases. Lian…does this have anything to do with your mother?" Roy asked.

Lian looked down at her knees, and nodded. "She tried to kill me, and then a year later she tried to take you away. If I need to fight her, I want to be ready. So far she's kinda shown that she's not going to wait for me to turn sixteen."

True enough. "Dick said you worked really well with Irey and Damian. And I've noticed some of my stuff's been put back in the wrong place. Are you training?"

Lian chewed her lip, then nodded again. "I've been teaching myself a lot, and so has Damian."

Roy let out a pained breath and rubbed at his eyes. "Oh man. I didn't…I really didn't want you to be scared like that." He didn't know what to say after that. He wanted to follow it through with 'You don't have to be,' and 'I'll always protect you,' but they both knew that that wasn't actually the case. Jade had done a pretty thorough job piercing the illusion of safety Roy had tried to give their daughter.

"I just…I think the only way I'm really going to be safe is if I'm ready," Lian said.

Painful though it was, Roy agreed. "I'm so sorry Lian…my only job is to protect you from this shit so you don't have to, and I can't. I just can't."

"No, Daddy, it's not like that!" Lian squeezed him tightly. "You do a great job protecting me and keeping me safe. Too good a job, really! A lot of the time I wish you were a little worse at it so I could have more of a social life. But it's just, some things out there are really big and there's only so much we can do. I just think I need to know how to defend myself a little better, and then everything will be fine."

Roy nodded. "Alright. I'll start training you in earnest then."

"Really?" Lian asked, excitement flickering in her eyes. It looked for a moment like Christmas had come early. "You're really okay with it?"

"Yeah. I'll show you everything I know, and if you really want to, you can keep training with Damian too." He wasn't going to let his dislike of the haughty teen keep his daughter from getting tips from one of the best fighters alive. "Li…will you just say whatever else it is on your mind? I don't think I can take anymore shocks tonight."

"I was just wondering, um…if it would be pushing it too much if I asked if I could keep the costume."

"Oh." Roy let out a startled laugh. "You know, I didn't get a very clear look at it. I was too distracted by…"

"Murderous intent towards Grandpa? Do you think he's still outside?"

"No, I think he got the message. Anyway, take off the t-shirt and let me see it."

Lian put her mask back on, removed the t-shirt, and stood in front of her father.

It wasn't a bad little outfit, really. The mask was a bit wider and more slender than your average domino, with large openings for her eyes and optional white lenses. The top was a tightly fitted purple leather tank top, with lacing up the sides (probably to allow room for her ever expanding chest), with a bare midriff, a matching purple skirt, wrist guards, and sturdy black knee boots with purple rubber soles.

"It's too skimpy."

"It's a superhero costume," Lian whined.

"For a fourteen year old. Does you midriff have to be bare?" He was tempted to remind her that he hadn't worn a tightly fitted costume until he'd been in his twenties.

"Well no, but…I took the belly button ring out!"

"Yeah, you shoulda done that four days ago when I asked. I don't want your stomach showing. Otherwise I think it's a good costume. What are you going to call yourself?" Roy asked.

"Well, I need to run it by Mia first, but I really want to be Speedy."

Roy probably shouldn't have been surprised by that, but for some reason he really was. Even though there were very few things about him that he was comfortable with his daughter emulating, he was still happy to hear that she wanted to take his old name. "I…think she'll probably be okay with that."

"Even if she's not, I might do it anyway. Just seems better to ask first." Lian danced over to give him another hug, then went to get changed into pajamas.

Roy went over to the front door and glanced outside to see if Ollie was still there. Not only was he gone, but so were the suitcases and the rental car. Satisfied, Roy went upstairs to fill his (likely terrified) boyfriend in on what had happened.

Dick was sitting on his bed looking pale and uneasy while texting someone. Mildly curious about who Dick was gossiping about him with, Roy flopped onto the bed and let out an exhausted groan. "It's okay Dick. I didn't kill Ollie."

"I'm very proud of your restraint." Dick tossed his phone aside and then curled up next to Roy. "Everything's okay?"

He knew what Dick meant, but actually, despite recent stressors things were pretty spectacular. Ollie had finally left, Dick had given him the commitment he desperately wanted, and Roy had faced a necessary conversation with his daughter that had been terrifying him for months.

"Yeah, things are great." There wasn't a hint of sarcasm to his voice, as he wasn't being sarcastic, and Dick let out a relieved breath.

"Oh man, I really thought you were going to lose it when I saw her in that costume-"

"I did at first, but…we talked. She convinced me that she's going to need it, from time to time. Actually Dick, I was thinking…" Roy leaned over and started tracing idle patterns on Dick's side with his fingertips. "Maybe we should get the kids together for a Titans group."

"Really?" Dick asked. "You'd be okay with Lian being on the team?"

"She needs to train. I can't kid myself anymore. I can try to insulate her all I want, but the threats are always going to be there, and I want her prepared to face them. Wait, have the kids already been talking about a team?" Roy asked, a bit startled. He wasn't sure there were enough costumed kids to form one.

"Yeah, Damian's been trying to form a team pretty much since the old one disbanded. He wants the leadership experience. We were figuring him, Irey, Lian if you were ever ready, and maybe X'hawn if he decides he wants to go the hero route. I know four's pretty small, but we started out small and you know how these things rapidly expand on you."

"Yeah. Okay, pitch it to Damian and let's see if we can get the ball rolling on this."

"Cool." Dick leaned forward for a kiss, and when he pulled away he was beaming. "This is a much better end to the night than I expected. I mean, the costume seemed bad enough, but I figured when you noticed the dog running around the backyard you'd really lose your-"

"What fucking dog?!"

"…shit. Oh boy."

*******

"How long before we can leave?" Damian hissed.

Bruce quirked an eyebrow, making sure not to outwardly show how amusing he found his son's discomfort. Damian was gifted at many things, but hiding his displeasure was not one of them. In truth, Bruce hated these things as much as the boy did, and if he didn't find the occasional appearance at a society fundraiser prudent for keeping his idiot playboy cover going they wouldn't be standing in a museum gallery avoiding empty headed socialites while pretending to court their interest.

It wasn't Damian's displeasure that amused him per se, it was more that the boy unintentionally acted as a mirror for Bruce's true feelings while he carried on a convincing act.

"I think we need to stay at least another hour or so. We've only been here twenty minutes."

"Do I have to stay another hour?" Damian asked sourly, which was his version of a whine.

The honest answer was no. Bruce had no illusions about Damian's capacity for playing the ditzy billionaire. He knew full well Damian would figure out a different way to keep his secrets when he became a man.

"Yes Damian, you are to remain with me." Because misery loves company. Dick and Tim had served their time at these functions (as had Jason before his death, resurrection, and subsequent rift from their circle). It was Damian's duty as a Robin to support Batman, and Batman particularly enjoyed his support when Damian provided a valid excuse to leave the room when that heiress with the reality TV show was after him.

Damian grumbled irritably under his breath before seating himself on a nearby bench and taking out his e-reader. Bruce considered telling him he ought to at least pretend to be civil with so many society page journalists milling about, but then Selina Kyle entered the room and he decided his attention had better places to be.

Selina made eye contact with him, tilted her head towards the courtyard, and then disappeared into another gallery.

Five minutes later she and Bruce were strolling through the museum's gardens, well away from the other guests.

"I suppose I should open with the requisite 'you're not here to steal anything, are you?'"

Selina smirked. "If I were, I'd have done it by now anyhow. I've been unobserved in this place for upwards of ten minutes."

Bruce raked her over with his eyes, taking in all the jewelry she wore, and then met her defiant green stare again. He was reasonably confident he'd seen all those pieces on her at least once in the past, meaning if they were stolen, they hadn't been stolen that night. It was encouraging, if not ideal.

"Junior's been blowing up facebook for the past twenty minutes or so. Something about piercings, purple leather, Oliver Queen, and a dog. He's not being terribly comprehensible, but whatever it is, it sounds like an interesting night."

Bruce wasn't sure how to address that, so he decided to let it go. "Selina, why did you seek me out? I assume it wasn't to talk about Dick."

"No, but if he's going to be so amusing with his antics, the least I could do was make him an ice-breaker. And, well…I did have a chat with him recently."

It was Bruce's turn to smirk. "I'd heard you helped him track Cheshire down. I was surprised to hear that appealing to your good nature was a successful tactic."

"Mm. Well how would you know? You've never tried."

"You've never given me reason to."

They stood in determined silence for a long few minutes, wills clashing along with cool stares. Selina was the first to break. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked to the side. "Well, anyway, Grayson…made me reconsider our last serious discussion."

Bruce unconsciously rubbed at his forearm. His suit jacket and shirtsleeve covered a recent scar in the shape of four neatly spaced claw marks, which he'd acquired while flinging his arm over his face in the three seconds he had to block once he'd noticed Selina move. She'd gotten him through his body armor, and he still hadn't figured out what she was making her claws out of these days.

That was nearly four months ago. That was just inexcusable. Maybe he'd take a page out of Dick's book and just ask her what she'd maimed him with.

"Our last serious discussion? Was that the one when you called me an inbred misogynist?"

"No Bruce, that was this one." She trailed her finger up his side, coming within centimeters of another recent scar. "I'm talking about the one when I accused you of leading me on for the past fifteen or so years."

"Even if that were the case, which it's not…fifteen's a bit much, don't you think?"

Selina shrugged. "You drop hints, you disappear. Some nights we work together like it's the most natural thing in the world, others we're at each other's throats. Sometimes you're willing to look the other way for me, others you stare me up and down to do a violating inventory of my jewels. The lack of trust does hurt you know."

Bruce didn't say anything to that, trusting to the bitter expression on his face. She'd never proven herself capable of resisting the temptation of under-protected jewels. Why would she start now?

"Bruce…we have so much potential, but we're not getting any younger. You should know what I want from you by now. Would I be a fool to keep waiting?"

Bruce eyed her curiously. "Just what did Dick say to you anyway?"

Selina laughed. "It's stupid of me…but he told me that the ex-sidekicks and partners are…he said they were rooting for me. Even your son. I found that…oddly flattering."

Bruce hadn't really given it that much thought himself. It was probably true though, and he couldn't say he blamed them. He didn't date particularly well (not that any of them did, though Tim had entered a surprising period of stability with Tamara Fox). He could understand why his boys would prefer Selina considering the next nearest options.

He certainly did.

"We have been over this before," Bruce said. "And you know my conditions. Would you be able to keep them?"

Selina didn't answer. She didn't need to.

"I think we're finished here then. Please don't steal anything. I think it'd be awkward to chase each other across rooftops tonight considering, don't you?"

"You know, if I was dressed properly you'd be getting a new one for that." She jabbed angrily at a different scar she'd given him, this one on his shoulder, and then stormed back inside.

Bruce found Damian where he'd left him, but he was looking through his phone instead of the e-reader this time. "Grayson and Harper are making spectacles of themselves again," Damian informed him. "I don't know why they post about it for everyone to see. No shame, those two."

"I'd heard something about a dog," Bruce said.

Damian showed him a picture on his phone. "Apparently its name is not Arrow Dog."

Bruce frowned at the picture. It was of a shivering little chihuahua/terrier mix, with patchy white fur and sad looking eyes. "I should hope not. I don't think Arrow Dog suits it very well. Are you ready to leave?"

"I thought we were going to stay an hour."

"We can leave now."

Damian came very near a smile at that announcement. "I'll have to thank Catwoman the next time I see her."

Startled by the comment in light of what Selina had said to him, Bruce was tempted to ask Damian what he thought of Catwoman. He didn't though, just left with him to get their coats and go find Alfred.

As they were leaving the museum they noticed flashing lights and sirens, and a herd of police officers ran past them to get inside. They were yelling something about Catwoman being spotted in the Art Nouveau jewelry exhibit.

"Shall we find somewhere to suit up?" Damian asked.

Bruce considered it. "…no. I'll let her have this one."

*******

"I can't believe how quickly you're picking this up Jai. I can assure you, when I had my first time behind the wheel we most certainly did not leave the parking lot," Piper said with a fond smile.

Jai returned the smile shakily. "I'm okay with machines. Besides, driving doesn't seem to be that hard. I think I'm already better at it than Dad. You sucked though?"

Piper watched Jai calmly merge into oncoming traffic, and decided that the sixteen year old novice driver was in fact quite a lot better at driving than Wally West. Because much as the man loved cars, he still got impatient with how comparatively slowly they moved, and accordingly he wasn't always the most careful driver in the world.

"I was pretty terrible, yeah," Piper answered. "When I was a teenager I was…easily distracted. And a bit of a thrill seeker. My parents refused to take me out, and after one trip each the servants both said that they'd quit before they drove with me again."

"How'd you learn then?" Jai asked, and Piper regretted bringing it up.

But it was nice to be talking with Jai again and having a real conversation, so after an awkward pause Piper continued. "I, er…hung around the Central U parking lot and convinced some undergrads to take me out."

Jai giggled. "Sounds like you were an interesting teenager."

"Keep in mind I was three years shy of my first supercrime at that point," Piper reminded him. "I was doing a lot of stupid and reckless things, and getting into cars with strangers was definitely among them."

"I know, I know. Thanks for teaching me how to drive, by the way. I think if I'd waited for Mom and Dad to actually have time for me I'd be in my thirties before it happened."

"I…think your mom wants to take you out this weekend," Piper said, feeling uncomfortable, and honestly a little angry.

He found it grating that Jai still couldn't accept how much his family cared about him in light of what they'd gone through during his summer of suicide attempts and hospitalizations. Linda was battling with insomnia as a result, Wally was awkwardly expressing his emotions more profusely than ever (which may not have been particularly enjoyable for Jai, but he must have seen what motivated it), and Irey had become a visible wreck every time her brother took a turn for the worse. His family loved him. Why couldn't he just accept it?

Jai snorted derisively. "She always intends to do things with me. Alright, we've been driving around aimlessly for hours now. You must be bored. Should I head back to the parking lot we started in, or should I just drive home?"

"I think you're capable of driving home without scaring your parents. They're going to be surprised about this."

"I've been watching people drive my entire life. It's really not that hard."

Something occurred to Piper then, and he grappled with whether to ask Jai about it for a few miles before he finally spoke up. "Jai…this is your first time driving, right?"

Jai looked at him out of the corner of his eye, and then looked back at the road. "Of course."

"Oh. Well you are remarkably good at it." And Piper had gotten a feel for what a smooth liar the teen was. He knew Jai spent a lot of time with older boys (older boys the adults in his life desperately wished he'd avoid). It wouldn't be terribly surprising if they'd let the young teen behind the wheel a few times.

"I told you Hartley, I'm just good with machines."

They sat in silence for the rest of the drive back to the West house. Jai's face was inscrutable, and Piper was lost in his reminisces about Jai's tween years. That had been the point when they'd really started to bond. He missed sharing comfortable silences with his young friend, and wished the poisonous tension between them would disappear.

He hoped it all cleared up by the time Jai was a young man, but the only way to make that a reality was to suffer through the uncomfortable present.

Jai parked the little hybrid Piper had loaned him to practice on behind his mother's station wagon, then he and Piper went inside to brag to the family about Jai's prowess behind the wheel. They found the house in a state of excitement. Jai's face darkened when he realized that no one had even noticed him walk through the front door.

"Omigawdomigawdomigawd!Thisisreallyhappeningforreal it'sreallyhappening!" Irey squealed at superspeed, dancing through the front hall and sending up sparks of electricity.

"We still need to talk about this!" Linda yelled, running after her with a phone cradled by her ear. "What? Oh Roy, no, of course we're giving her permission, but-IREY WILL YOU CALM DOWN?!"

"Oh come on Linda, let the girl be excited," Wally said dismissively. He grabbed his daughter's shoulder. "Y'wanna take a run and burn off some of that energy so you don't give your mom an aneurism?"

The speed force crackled around her, and suddenly Irey was sporting her Impulse costume. "Yeah! That sounds great!" She turned towards the door, finally noticing Piper gaping at everyone, and Piper finally noticed that Jai had left his side at some point while he'd been staring at the other Wests in surprise. "Hi Uncle Piper! Guess what?!"

"Uh…"

"I'MGONNABEATEENTITAN!"

"Uh…what?"

Wally laughed. "They're finally forming a Teen Titans group. Irey's joining up. First meeting's going to be next Saturday."

"Oh. Congratulations. Um…Jai's quite good at driving, if anyone…" Piper looked around in some confusion, wondering where the surly teen had gone. Then he noticed a door slam upstairs and figured he was barricading himself in his room.

Linda walked into the kitchen, still talking to Roy Harper on the phone. They were making arrangements for the kids from the sounds of it. Irey and Wally bid him an enthusiastic goodbye, then took off in a blur of scarlet motion for some father-daughter bonding time.

Piper remained in the hallway for a few minutes, not quite sure what to do, before finally heading upstairs to check on Jai.

Jai was curled up on his bed, gloomily staring out the window. Piper flicked on the light, sat down next to him on the bed, and gave his knee a gentle squeeze. "Well, I'm proud of you. Learning how to drive is an excellent accomplishment."

"Thanks Hartley," Jai whispered. "So that fuss was about the Teen Titans? Irey's really going to be on a superhero team now?"

Piper nodded, and gave his knee another squeeze.

Jai's face fell. "Sometimes I wish I were more like Irey. Then I wouldn't get left behind so much."

"I rather like you the way you are."

Jai smirked bitterly. "I thought I was a pain in your ass the way I am."

"Well there are some aspects I could do without. You being so down on yourself is chief amongst them. But those are surface details. Past all that there's an interesting young person that I'm grateful to have as a friend."

Jai rested his head against Piper's shoulder, and Piper carefully wrapped an arm around him. He'd consciously limited physical contact with Jai after realizing that the kid had a bit of a crush on him, but he'd also spent a few weeks reinforcing the fact that they were friends, and he felt like friends could hug each other when they were upset. Jai seemed to agree, because he didn't make any of those inappropriate soft sighs or any of the other pointless gestures that immaturity found romantic.

"Thanks Hartley," Jai finally murmured. He pulled away, looking a bit embarrassed about his little tantrum. "You're a really good friend. Sorry I, um…sorry."

"It's alright. I should probably head out soon though. Do you need anything before I leave?"

"Nah. I'm good. Um…can we go out driving again soon?"

Piper smiled. "I'm not sure you really need it, but sure. We can take a few more spins before your license test."

"Cool. Thanks Piper."

Piper went downstairs and hovered uncertainly in the front hall again. It felt a little weird to have walked around in Wally and Linda's house without really talking to them, but they'd also run off to do other things when he'd tried. He was just about to leave anyway when Linda poked her head through the doorway,

"Hey Piper. Can I talk to you for a second?"

Piper dutifully headed towards the kitchen and sat down at the table with her. "Is it about Irey and the Titans?" he asked. "Because I'm not sure how much help I can be. I don't have much experience with that particular team."

Linda quirked an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware you had any experience with them at all."

Piper winced. "I…fought them once during my polka dot days. Wally didn't mention it?"

Linda laughed. "No, he left that out. I take it they won?"

"They soundly kicked my ass, yes. But to be fair, there were five of them," Piper grumbled. "And Wondergirl packed a punch."

"Well inexperience aside, I'd still like to feel you out on this. Do you think it's a good idea, having Irey join a superhero team?"

"For Irey, I think it's a fantastic idea. She's only confident and self-assured when she's in costume. The rest of the time she's rather meek, and a bit lonely. She still doesn't have any good friends at her school, right?"

Linda nodded. "Well…she's mentioned a girl named Angie a few times, but I think it's because their lockers are next to each other. You're right. Her best friend is Lian Harper, and the girl's a hero kid. I think she's going to have an easier time socializing as Impulse, and being around heroes her own age will be good for her. And I'm not worried about the danger. She's already faced down more than some of the older heroes."

"So we're on the same page then," Piper said.

"Jai," Linda said softly. "I assume you were up there talking to him. How does he feel?"

"Forgotten," Piper answered. "Upstaged. Inadequate. The usual, as far as I can tell."

Linda pressed her lips together, and for a long few minutes she tapped her manicured fingernails against the table as she thought something over. Piper patiently waited, and eventually she shared her idea. "What do you think of the idea of…of Jai joining the team too?"

Piper frowned. "What would he do? If he just shadows his sister, I think that will make things worse, don't you?"

"Well Hartley…I was kind of thinking he could do what you do."

"Hypnosis? Linda, I told you, I discovered that it actually stems from a meta ability, meaning it's not something I can te-"

"Oh please Piper, when was the last time you actually hypnotized someone?" Linda snapped. He fell silent, pleased that Linda noticed how careful he was to be ethical with his abilities.

"Well then what did you have in mind?"

"You're a tech nerd and a hacker. You tinker, you work on other heroes' gear for them, and then there's all the work you've done with sonics. You've shown it all to Jai, and I've caught him tinkering with your old gear for fun. I think he could really contribute to a superhero team with that. He could be like their Oracle."

"Oracle's real then?" Piper asked.

Linda rolled her eyes. "Focus. What do you think Hartley? You're the actual tech whiz. Do you think Jai could make that a superhero gimmick?"

Piper thought about it for a few minutes, and eventually he nodded. "Yes, I think he'd be quite good at it."

"Alright. Do you wanna pitch it to him?"

"What? Why can't you pitch it to him?"

Linda smiled sadly, a pained look in her pretty brown eyes. "Because I'm his mother. He'll never believe me when I tell him he's special. You on the other hand…He respects you."

Groaning, Piper got up from the table and started for the stairwell.

He really hoped the Wests appreciated everything he did for them.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damian and Irey take on new identities. The newest incarnation of the Teen Titans get their first mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Billy Hong may come across like an OC to a lot of you, but he's actually an obscure canon character. His one appearance was in the Rogues New Year's Evil special from 1998, by Brian Augustyn, Ron Wagner, and Bill Reinhold. He's the first Trickster's son, and he has loosely defined meta powers tied to the deity Meshta. Zhutan is not a typo; Augustyn created a fake country (likely based on Bhutan) for Billy's cultural background, though the kid is supposed to be American. As Billy only got one canon appearance before being mostly forgotten, most of what you see about Billy will be made up by me.
> 
> In regards to Damian's new identity... As I've mentioned before, I studied Arabic while I was at school. During my last semester I had to do some pretty terrible take-home tests, one of which involved writing a three page essay in Arabic (Arabic is much more concise than English, so three pages of Arabic is a LOT of work). I took many breaks from this mentally exhausting assignment, and while I was goofing off with the translator I decided to try to make the iDaafa construct Demon's Head/Head of the Demon. And I couldn't. I couldn't because ghul doesn't mean demon.
> 
> I asked my professor about it (he was really surprised to hear that Batman has an Arabic villain), and he was very adamant that ghul isn't demon. He had to puzzle it out for a minute before he could give me a translation though. "No, you have those in English. It's a word that's quite similar too...ghul, ghul...Ghouls! They're little things. Parents tell their children to be good or the ghuls will get them. They're certainly not demons."
> 
> I did another project for my religious studies minor on personifications of evil in Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism, and I spent some time delving into the Arabic words Iblis and shaytun. As far as I can tell from my research, shaytun is the best translation for demon available.
> 
> And R'as al-Ghul accidentally named himself the Boogeyman's Head/Head of the Boogeyman, which I personally find hilarious.

Chapter Twenty Five

Miranda Xiomei Hong felt a nervous sensation she couldn't quite explain as she approached the Lotus Light Monastery in the mountains of Zhutan. She'd left her adolescent son Billy at the monastery five years ago for advanced training to help him deal with his extraordinary meta powers.

Up until that very moment, she'd been elated at the prospect of seeing Billy after such a long separation. Now that the moment had finally come, she felt something akin to a subtle dread.

Billy was a gifted individual. The Zhutanese called him the majee: a master mystic who could summon and channel the deity Meshta. Despite Billy's godlike cosmic powers, to Mindy he was first and foremost her loving little boy (even though he'd been taller than her since he was thirteen). Five years ago he'd been sixteen. She was eager to see the young man he'd grown into.

A withered old monk in a saffron robe was waiting at the entrance. He bowed deeply to the mother of the majee, and she returned the gesture. He wordlessly took her through a desolate corridor, unadorned save for the occasional table carrying a vase of withered flowers.

The old monk brought her to a room with a comparatively young monk in it seated behind a desk. This monk was likely in his thirties, like Mindy. The older monk bowed again before leaving.

"Welcome Mrs. Hong," the new monk greeted in heavily accented English.

"Miss," Mindy corrected as she sat down in front of him. "I've never been married."

"Oh." That seemed to surprise him. Mindy quirked an eyebrow, hoping she wasn't going to be judged. This might be a Buddhist monastery, but it was still Zhutan and the Zhutanese had some pretty backwards ideas about the proper role and attitude of a woman. "I'm just…I didn't expect Meshta to select a single American to guard his majee. From what I understand of your culture, you must have much strength."

"At least it's possible to get by in America," Mindy said, though she kept her tone polite. The monk wasn't trying to insult her, as far as she could tell. "If I were in Zhutan, Billy and I would probably have starved to death. May I see my son now?"

"Soon," the monk promised. "There are some preliminaries we must attend to. Now, Miss Hong, you and Billy sought us out so that he could practice a particularly intensive regiment of various meditations-"

"I'm aware. I did bring him here myself."

"Yes. Well, as I'm sure you remember, no one in living memory has attempted such a strict and lengthy ordeal within these walls, and certainly no one with the extraordinary abilities your son possesses. Please don't be startled when you see him."

With that cryptic burst of speech the monk fell silent and would say no more. This particular monastery observed a vow of silence under normal circumstances, with the result that even the monks who facilitated interactions with the outside weren't terribly chatty.

The monk took Mindy through a labyrinth of bland looking hallways and minimally furnished rooms. To Mindy's surprise, they exited the monastery entirely through a back door and went up a steep path further into the mountains. The monk showed her to the entrance of a cave and then bowed, indicating she should go inside without him.

Mindy bowed in return and, glad she hadn't removed her jacket while inside, she made her way into the cave.

Her first thought was that it was beautiful. The walls had all been carved into statues, showing magnificent seated buddhas flanked by scores of bodhisattvas, devas, and attendants. It was absolutely lovely, like nothing she'd ever seen before, and Mindy had seen a lot of religious art in her travels with her son. She was so lost in the sublime works of art that initially she didn't notice the seated figure of flesh among them.

Billy was in the lotus position, eyes closed and long raven black bangs in his face. His complexion was smooth and white, as though he'd seen very little of the sun during the past five years. He was wearing the same saffron robes as the other monks, but they hung loose on his lean, bony frame.

Most importantly, he still looked to be sixteen years old.

*******

Dick looked around his apartment and let out a wistful sigh.

It still felt like he'd just moved in, even though it had been months. He'd rarely been home to enjoy the place, what with all the drama with the kids, and excursions to Keystone to be with Roy, and the usual superhero antics.

He really liked his apartment. It was perfect for him. Nice view of the city, lots of book storage, easy to clean, cozy…but there was only one bedroom.

He strolled around his apartment, letting out a few more longing sighs as he did so, and then he went into the living room to start boxing things up.

*******

Dick went to Gotham with the intention of telling the Waynes about his plans to move (yet again). He got stuck in traffic, and wound up getting in just too late for dinner, so he snagged a plate of leftovers and then went down to the Cave where he expected to find Bruce and Damian suiting up for patrol.

Bruce was sitting by the computer reading some files over. He was in costume, but the cowl was down, a signal that friendly chat was still welcome. "Hey. Where's Damian?"

"Trying on a new costume," Bruce answered.

Dick quirked an eyebrow. "New costume? He updating the Robin suit?" He'd kept it mostly the same since he was ten, but the suit had seen some slight modifications over the past eight years.

Bruce shook his head. "He wants his own identity. New costume, new codename."

"Oh." Dick frowned, surprised by how much that news bothered him (and that it bothered him at all). It made sense. The kid was eighteen. He was a little old to be running around in Dick's old colors, and certainly ready for an identity that fit his personality. If he were going to be honest, Dick was surprised Damian had remained Robin for so long.

But Damian had been wearing his colors…and, once they'd gotten to know each other, it hadn't been inconsequential anymore. He'd been interested in being part of Dick's legacy in addition to his father's.

Maybe that's why he was surprised. Damian was all about legacies. In some corner of his mind, Dick had expected Damian to keep the Robin identity until he was ready to assume the mantle of the Bat.

"When did he decide to do this?" Dick asked.

"When he realized he'd be leading a new team. He wants to make it his own," Bruce answered. "So what are you doing here?"

He looked defensive. Well, really he looked inscrutable other than a minor stiffening of his jaw, but Dick was experienced enough picking Batman apart to know what that meant. It made him wonder what Bruce thought he was there to do.

"I need to talk to you guys for a few minutes before you take off, if that's okay."

"There's nothing pressing tonight, so that should be fine…you're alright, aren't you?" Bruce asked.

Laughing, Dick nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine."

"I'd heard you'd had some bizarre activity on facebook. Something about piercings?"

Dick slapped a hand over his mouth as he snorted, and it took him a second to answer. "That wasn't about me…oh god. I can kinda see how you got there though, considering what I wrote. No, Roy was having problems with Ollie spoiling his daughter." He quickly related what had gone down in the Arrow household, and Bruce listened with apparent interest.

Which was actually a little weird. Bruce rarely liked socializing for the sake of socializing. "Alright, you just let me ramble about the mundane goings on of our acquaintances. Why aren't you bored?"

Bruce smirked. "I don't mind when you share anecdotes about Roy Harper and his daughter."

"Really?" Dick frowned. Was it because Damian so clearly liked Lian, and Bruce thought he should get to know her? Or had he noticed the level of commitment between Roy and Dick…?

"The man's an excellent father. I…could probably use some tips. Now to the point, you said he got her to remove the bellybutton ring through a guilt trip. I've been made to understand that this sort of manipulation is psychologically distressing for the child." Here Bruce leveled a slight glare at Dick, implying that that was his fault.

Dick vaguely remembered screaming something to that effect at a departing batmobile while he'd stood in the cave in his short pants and fairy boots, trembling with suppressed rage.

"Roy avoided negative side effects with his daughter though?" Bruce pressed.

Dick was momentarily dumbstruck, but he gave himself a little shake and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, Lian just realized she pushed him too far, and then they compromised."

"I see. So he was able to modify her behavior with subtle shows of dislike throughout the week…interesting."

Dick wondered if he should let Roy know that Bruce wanted to do parenting chats. It would either make him feel really proud of himself or terrified.

He was saved the necessity of further discussion of Roy's parenting methods by Damian's approach. For the second time that night, Dick was dumbstruck.

Damian was wearing a skintight black bodysuit with a stylized crimson domino mask. His bodysuit had red markings for ornamentation, mostly across his left shoulder but spreading out in a band over his upper body, narrowing to a thinner line down each of his arms, and culminating in finger stripes.

"Oh holy shit. Damian this is…"

Damian pressed his lips together. His expression had gone blank and stony, which meant he was nervous. "I didn't expect you to be here."

Dick broke out into a wide grin. "You're Nightwing junior!"

"Don't you dare call me that again!" Damian snapped. "I've thought of a new codename for myself. Yes, this costume makes reference to you in light of all the influence you've had on me and the role you've played in my training, but I am not trying to be you."

"Okay, okay." Dick still couldn't stop smiling like an idiot. "So what's your new codename?"

"Shaytun."

"Shat on?" Dick repeated, sure he had to be saying that wrong.

"As in al-shaytun," Bruce spoke up, and Dick jumped. He'd been so focused on the younger Wayne that he'd forgotten the older one was present. "It's Arabic, obviously. I can't talk him out of it. Perhaps you could…" Bruce broke off when Damian glared at him.

"I've told you, I have reasons for choosing this name. Besides, I already constructed the costume around it." He touched the symbol over his left upper body. Dick squinted at it in confusion. "It's taken from the Solomonic seal for wisdom. Shaytun means demon, thus incorporating ceremonial magic into my design."

"I thought ghul was Arabic for demon," Dick said.

"It is-" Bruce started, but Damian spoke over him.

"It is not. Ghul means ghoul, like those little things that scare children. I'm not sure why my grandfather didn't know this when he picked his name, but it's a mistranslation. I've chosen Shaytun for myself to rub his face in his idiocy."

"But you do understand why I'm uncomfortable with you molding your new image around your grandfather's, don't you?" Bruce said, some uncharacteristic emotion presenting itself in his voice. He was worried.

Damian regarded him blankly. "I designed the rest of the costume around Grayson. I'd have thought that would be enough appeasement for you."

Bruce still didn't look happy, and Dick wondered for a fleeting second if he was jealous.

No, that was just ridiculous.

"Hey Damian, I've got the night free. Want me to suit up so we can do a patrol together? We'll be twinsies!"

"You're going to be mind-numbingly horrible about this, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," Dick said with a wink. "And that wasn't a no, so I'm going to get changed. I'll be right back."

As Dick ran off to put his suit on, he heard Bruce quietly remind Damian that he had time to leave without him.

"Don't be ridiculous Father. He'd just catch up with me anyway. You don't think he'll say that twinsies thing when we're actually in the field, do you?"

Bruce didn't answer. He really didn't need to.

*******

Dick was sitting on the ledge of a roof kicking his feet when Damian jumped down next to him. He handed Dick a bag of fast food before sitting down with his own hummus wrap. "You know Shaytun, I'm really going to miss the nights where I used to watch crooks wet themselves in terror when they saw Robin coming after them."

"I assume that never happened when you were Robin?" Damian asked with a self-satisfied smirk.

Dick laughed. "A couple times, actually, but I think it was just because they assumed Batman was on his way. Keep laughing; we already know my old costume wasn't intimidating."

Damian leaned back against a smokestack and let out a sigh. "Father doesn't like my new identity."

"He probably just needs to get used to it." Lord knows Dick did. He felt like he still wasn't pronouncing Shaytun correctly.

"Should I have selected something bat themed instead? I fear I've done something disrespectful."

Dick frowned. "I wouldn't worry too much. What's done is done, and besides, he knows you want to follow in his footsteps. I don't think you really need to be Batboy."

"Then his disapproval really is because of my attempt to thumb my nose at my grandfather's identity. I suppose I didn't pull it off then."

Dick sighed. "Shaytun sounds a lot like Satan."

"That's because they're related words. In the Hebrew Bible ha-satan is a role, not the distinct entity of the devil, and in my home shaytuns are antagonistic entities. And I do intend to be antagonistic to the Ghuls. That's not what Father thinks though. He thinks I'm going to join them."

"No. Damian, he just…" Dick broke off at the expression Damian threw his way. It was one of heartbreaking certainty.

"You're one of very few people who do not think the worst of me. Sometimes I think your faith is based on pure foolishness, but I do appreciate it. I have no desire to be anything like my mother or my grandfather."

"I know. And Bruce knows that too," Dick insisted, though he didn't believe it. Maybe things would be different if Bruce hadn't already seen one of his Robins go down a dark path, but the fact remained that Jason still haunted him as a failure, not only his tragic death but also his painful return. Bruce seemed to have been preparing himself to lose his current Robin from the moment he'd found out about him.

Damian set his wrap aside, clearly having lost his appetite.

"Um…you excited for the first meeting on Saturday?" Dick asked, hoping to break some tension with a lighter subject.

Damian nodded. "Mostly. I look forward to working with Impulse. She's a bit irritating sometimes, but it's all unintentional, and she's very experienced."

"And then there's the new Speedy," Dick teased.

"Who is fourteen," Damian snapped.

Dick grinned. He'd have to tell Roy about that later.

"…did you hear that Jai is to be joining the team as well?"

Dick started. "No, I hadn't. He…what's he going to do? He doesn't have any powers or training."

"Apparently that reformed criminal, the Piper, is mentoring him. He's to be our Oracle." Damian sighed. "He'll be rather good at it, I suppose. I can't begrudge our team his support, I just…I'm not looking forward to seeing him again."

"Yeah, that'll probably be awkward. I'm sorry."

"You've worked with your exes before," Damian said suddenly. "You must have, as you have so many, and from what I've heard most of your relationships end painfully. Can you give me some tips?"

Dick winced, and rubbed at his eyes as best he could around his mask. "Tip one; be careful with your brutal honesty. You're probably going to want to just keep things professional between you and Jai."

"And if…if he doesn't let me do that?"

Dick set his own food aside and turned to face Damian. "Okay, what exactly are you expecting him to do?"

"I don't know. He's unpredictable."

"You don't think he's going to…um…" Dick couldn't think of a way to phrase what needed to be said. "Y'know, um…ambush you-"

"Oh for the love of…he has never been a physical threat to me, just so we're clear."

"Okay. Crystal clear. No physical threat."

Damian was still glaring pretty powerfully. "He's five feet four inches and one hundred and twenty pounds. And he's never been trained to fight. Even if he wanted to sexually assault me, which I don't believe he does, he couldn't."

"Well, I mean…he did kinda screw with your head pretty badly. I'm not trying to insult you, I'm just worried."

"I do appreciate your concern. Frankly, I'm a bit worried myself. But he certainly won't get away with anything of the sort this time."

"Cool."

They slowly resumed their meals, and Dick tried to think of a good segue for what he needed to say. By the time he'd finished his burger and fries he decided there wasn't one.

"I'm moving to Kansas."

Damian slumped back against the smokestack, closed his eyes, and let out a small groan. "You're emotionally exhausting, you know that Grayson?"

"You're going to be okay, right? Because I can still come up and visit, like all the time. I'm still here for you."

"I know. And it's fine." He went quiet, and Dick bit back on a string of awkward reassurances of their continued regular contact. After a few minutes Damian turned towards him with a small, only slightly pained smile that barely resembled a grimace on his face. "It seems…I was wrong about you and Harper. You're very happy together, aren't you?"

"Yeah, we are," Dick said simply.

Damian nodded. "Good. That's…that's good. Shall we finish our patrol?"

"Yeah, I'm ready to get back out there."

"Alright. Let's go."

*******

Roy personally accompanied Lian to Titans Tower on Saturday morning.

The kids had opted to meet in New York City, so they'd had the old Tower remodeled to suit the latest generation of teen superheroes. It had been a lot of work, and was still very much a work in progress, but it was a welcome project for their info jock/tech kid. When Roy and Lian walked up to the building they caught sight of Jai and Piper just ahead of them, hauling in cardboard boxes brimming with equipment.

Roy smiled and nodded at Piper, and watched him almost drop his box as he walked into the doorway. "Oof. Um…hello Roy."

Lian gave her father a questioning look, then shook her head. She decided she'd rather not know. "Hey Jai. How's it going?"

"Pretty good! The power's kicked out on us a couple times, but Piper helped me install some backup generators. I'm still fighting with the Thanagarian stuff the League gave us for the console room though."

"Is the Wi-fi up?" Lian asked. Looking a bit disappointed with the quality of her query, Jai nodded. "Cool beans! I'm going to check my facebook."

"Remember not to tag your location," Roy snapped. He walked past Piper and Jai, following after his daughter while she skipped into the building with her eyes on her smartphone. She looked up in wonder when she got further into the atrium.

"Oh wow. This place is huge!"

Roy looked around and shrugged. "When we first started we just had a little clubhouse. Cyborg's dad hooked the team up with this mess right before he died. Personally I think the Titans were better off with small, nondescript, and intimate."

"Less of a target that way," Lian couldn't help but notice. "Come on Daddy, we'll be fine. Do you think we should wait for everyone else here, or should we head upstairs?" She nodded her head towards the elevator.

Before Roy could answer, Irey zipped into the room. "Heyhowdyheyhaveyouseenthispl aceomigawdit'shugeandfantasticandHI!"

"Hey…that was almost comprehensible in some parts. Wait, what are you wearing?" Lian grabbed Irey by the shoulders and forced her to stand still. "Oh my fucking god, you're Kid Flash now?! When did that happen?"

What was visible of Irey's face turned red. She was indeed wearing the Kid Flash costume that Bart and Wally had worn before her (it was a little odd to see a girl wearing it). "Last night. Bart came over to take a run with me and we talked about the Titans and teams and family legacies and stuff. He asked me if I wanted to take the name, and I said yeah. Did you talk to Mia yet?"

Lian's face fell, and she nodded. "Yeah. She-she's cool with it. She's retiring. Um…I guess she's not really well enough for crime fighting anymore anyway."

They stood in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, and then Irey grabbed Lian's arm and started tugging her towards the elevator. "C'mon upstairs! Damian and X'hawn are already up there. We've just been waiting for you."

"Kay. Um, c'mon Daddy."

"It looks like you've got this. Irey, are anyone else's parents hovering around?" Roy asked with a self-deprecating smirk.

"Well X'hawn's an orphan, and Damian's-uh, I mean, no. It's just us and the peer mentors now."

After some discussion among the parents and guardians of the new Titans, it had been decided that the team would benefit from some outside leadership. Damian was still pissed about the decision, but he'd been firmly outvoted. The peer mentors were going to keep their involvement in the team's affairs as indirect as possible, but everyone (again, except Damian) felt better about the kids having young adults present who could guide them from their own experience if needed.

Cassie and Bart had volunteered for the posts, and they'd been well received by the teens (even Damian couldn't find anything nasty to say about the two of them).

Roy tried to force a smile onto his face, but it didn't meet his eyes. Lian turned away from Irey and ran over to him. She hugged him fiercely, suddenly feeling incredibly emotional even though she'd been looking forward to this moment for as long as she could remember. "I love you Daddy."

"Love you too Peanut. And don't worry, you're going to be awesome at this. It's in your blood." Roy gave her a quick squeeze, kissed her cheek, and then turned and left.

"Ready Li?" Irey asked.

"I think so." Lian pushed her hair out of her face, adjusted her backpack over her shoulders, and then walked with Irey to the elevator. "Is everyone else in costume already?"

"Last I checked it was just me and Damian. Oh my god Lian, you're going to die when you see his new costume. It's really hot, and you know I've never been into Mr. Dark and Scary Batman junior."

"Really? What's it like?" Lian asked curiously.

Irey hit the button and the elevator started a smooth ascent. "It's like Nightwing's, actually, so yeah. Picture Nightwing but angrier."

Lian grabbed Irey's arm as her legs almost gave out on her. "Does he have the finger stripes?"

"Yep."

"Thank you for preparing me. I would have said something really stupid if you didn't prepare me."

Irey giggled. "Like what? Take me now?"

Lian punched her arm, and still giggling, Irey ran laps around the elevator until it stopped on one of the top floors. Then she was gone in a burst of movement. Lian followed after the red and yellow streak and found herself in a large, circular room with a conference table and more than enough cushy chairs for all of them.

X'hawn was standing by a massive window gazing out at the New York skyline with a contemplative expression on his round, pale face. He was wearing the lime green and black body suit that had been made for him at STAR labs to help him with the climate, but it was a fitting enough costume. He'd pulled his long white hair back into a tight ponytail, and it trailed down his back, making him look somehow very serene.

"Hey X'hawn. How goes it?"

"It goes…pleasantly, I suppose. I'm going to be known as Burst from hereon out. I understand you are to be called Speedy?"

Lian nodded. "It was my dad's codename back when he was a Teen Titan. Is there somewhere I can go change?"

"We all have private chambers assigned to us. If you go down that hallway, you should find yours. I believe Damian is in his."

"Thanks X'hawn. Um, I mean Burst." Lian waved at him, then went down the hall he'd pointed to. One of the doors had a post-it note with Speedy scrawled on it, so she went into that room and dropped her bag.

It was a nice enough little room, but it was definitely impersonal. All it had for furnishings was a bed, a desk, and a dresser, and everything was smooth, silver, and modernist. Lian started thinking immediately of pictures she could hang on the walls, trinkets she could bring from home, and maybe a throw rug to tie the room together.

By the time she'd changed into her costume and returned to the main room the rest of the team had mostly gathered. Irey was sitting on the table chatting with Bart (who was wearing baggy red shorts and a yellow hoodie adorned with a red fabric marker lightning bolt), Cassie was at the head of the table looking through a stack of papers, and X'hawn was still gazing out the window. As far as Lian could tell, they were only missing Jai and Damian.

Then Damian stepped out from behind her and she felt her mouth go dry. Irey's teasing hadn't prepared her at all for the sight of Damian in skintight spandex. His Robin costume had always been bulky (as far as superhero costumes went, anyway), and oftentimes obscured by his cape.

She was seized with a sudden urge to sketch his abdominal muscles.

He was flawless.

"I would have expected you to go with a red and yellow costume. Isn't that more the tradition in your family?" Damian asked politely.

Lian stared at him open mouthed for almost a full minute before she realized she was expected to respond. "I, um, I like purple."

Damian frowned. "I'd figured. It suits you, anyway." He walked over to the table, but rather than sit down he stood imposingly behind one of the chairs. Lian meekly took the seat next to him, trying hard not to stare.

She'd just gotten her first rear view of the new revealing costume, and the sight of his ass in a costume that was basically a second skin and nothing more was doing…things to her.

Damn puberty.

"Are we ready to begin?" Damian asked.

"We can't start yet, my brother's not here!" Irey squeaked. Damian scowled and Irey slid down a little in her chair. "Uh…my mom told me to make sure we included him."

"He's tech support. I don't think we really need him when we discuss business," Damian said.

Lian gaped at him. "Excuse you, but if he's a member of the team then he should be here. It'll take Irey literally a second to find him, and not much longer than that for him to get here. You can wait."

Irey mouthed a thank you that Lian didn't see because she was too engaged in staring Damian down, and then she left the room at superspeed.

Cassie and Bart traded a look, and then Cassie went back to shuffling papers. "Speedy and Kid Flash have a point. Even though Tech's going to stay at the Tower most of the time, he is a member of the team and he's going to be playing an active role. We shouldn't start without him."

"Very well." Damian didn't look very happy about being contradicted. He finally sat down in his chair with his arms crossed.

X'hawn swiveled his chair back and forth nervously, looking very young and childlike all of a sudden. The tension in the room was ridiculous. Bart suddenly got up and edged towards the elevators. "I'm gonna go look for Jai too. Be right back." And then he was gone.

Damian tapped his fingers impatiently against the table. Lian was starting to wonder what was up his ass. The team wasn't going to do well if he kept that 'more important hero than thou' attitude. She, X'hawn, and Jai were total amateurs, after all, and he wasn't even always that respectful towards Irey. She refused to be bullied by him, nor would she watch him push anyone else around (no matter how distractingly hot his new costume was).

Then Bart raced back into the room, knocking Cassie's files into disarray. He was clutching a phone in one hand. "So guys, I know we haven't really started yet, but there's a situation that could use some hero help-"

"Bart, are you freaking kidding? We can't offer them a mission now! They haven't done a single training exercise! We haven't even toured the Tower!" Cassie snapped.

"It's just our Rogues. Seriously, it'll be a good fight for a bunch of kids to cut their teeth on."

"Some of us don't need to cut our teeth," Damian all but growled.

"Some of us need to learn how to talk to teammates," Lian said quietly. "What's the situation?" she asked in a louder voice.

"Hold on a sec." Bart started pacing, and a few seconds later Irey and Jai ran into the room and joined them at the table. It was Lian's first look at Jai in his costume. It was definitely an odd look; sleeveless black t-shirt, tight fitting grey pants with knee boots, fingerless gloves, a collar, and green tinted glasses. The glasses made sense, but she couldn't really figure out what bondage-lite had to do with hacking.

"Kay, now that we're all here…" Bart pushed his bangs out of his face. "So the Rogues are having a fight in downtown Keystone. It looks like a bunch of the old standards versus Downpour, and as far as we can tell Downpour started the fight. The other Flashes are occupied, so if you guys don't want to take this one then I'm gonna have to ditch you for it, and I should probably at least take Irey with me for backup."

Lian felt her stomach twist into knots. She wasn't sure she was ready to jump right into a supervillain battle, but then she remembered what Irey had always said about her Rogues. They really weren't that bad, as far as supervillains went. As long as Captain Cold was in charge they had rules, and a certain amount of respect for superheroes. They probably were a good group for her to start with.

She was still nervous.

"I'm in," Lian said.

Damian nodded his agreement, and looking slightly lost, X'hawn nodded as well.

Cassie rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe we didn't get the friggin' tour in. Alright, fine. Let's go to Keystone City then."

*******

Mindy folded a t-shirt and neatly laid it on the bed next to a stack of identical black slacks. "I still wish you'd tell me what happened at the monastery."

"I've already told you," Billy answered. He was sitting on the floor of their hotel in front of the window, holding a perfect lotus and with his radiant amber eyes shut. "I went through the prescribed meditations and rituals just as we planned."

"And you didn't age," Mindy said, some irritation creeping into her tone. "Why didn't you age?" The next t-shirt she folded didn't come out as neatly as the others.

"I'm not entirely sure," Billy said with a frown. He opened his eyes and regarded his mother with innocent befuddlement. "I talked to a few of the other monks about it, and they said it's never happened before. But no one's attempted what I did for years, and no one's done it successfully for generations, so there wasn't really a lot to go on. I talked to Meshta about it though."

"And what did Meshta say?"

"He said he needed me to be a teenager for a little while longer."

Finished with the t-shirts, Mindy moved on to the black silk dress shirts Billy had picked out to wear over them. "Did he tell you why?"

Billy stood up and tapped on the glass. Their hotel room had a wonderful view of New York, including Titans Tower. "He didn't say anything, but I've got an inkling."


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans battle the Rogues. Dick and Roy finally move in together, and Piper unwittingly creates some tension.

Chapter 26

Piper was walking back from the used record store downtown when he stopped and did a double take.

Roy Harper was standing on the other side of the street, looking incredibly irritable and grumbling under his breath at a twitchy looking white fluff ball on a glittery pink leash. The dog had a white rhinestone collar, and there was a pink silk rose clipped to its fur.

Piper threw his hand over his mouth, and once he'd contained his laughter at the ridiculous sight he crossed the street to say hi.

"Hello Roy. That's…certainly not the type of dog I'd have expected you to be drawn to."

Roy looked up at him with a scowl. He was wearing his douchey red aviators, a sleeveless t-shirt, and baggy jeans with a chain (so attempting to look tough while being several years out of fashion). "Hey Piper. I think you know who picked out the god damn dog. Say hello to motherfucking Arrow Dog."

"Arrow Dog?" He assumed the 'motherfucking' was optional.

"That's what everyone keeps calling her. She's not my animal sidekick though."

Piper crouched down and held his hand out. Arrow Dog gave it a cautious sniff, then immediately peed herself. "Well she's cute." If absolutely nothing else.

"Ah huh. I think she's got some kind of bladder problem. She keeps peeing all over everything." He sounded positively thrilled about that.

"She might have a UTI. You should take her to the vet."

"Not until Lian gets back from the Tower. She's the one who got the flea bag, so she's going to be responsible and take care of the damn thing."

Piper scratched Arrow Dog's ears, and she jumped up on his knee and licked his other hand. "I just got back from the Tower myself. We got a lot done today. I think you and the other League alumni will be really pleased with it. I'm still going back next weekend to keep working on it though."

Roy frowned at him. "You got plans or something?"

"No…" Piper asked, wondering (a tad bit hopefully) where that was going.

"Oh. Then why'd you leave already? I mean, there's plenty of weekend left right now."

Piper inwardly groaned, realizing he'd just talked himself into a corner. He'd left early because the Titans had been called out on their first mission (which was pretty close to them, being in Keystone, but Roy probably hadn't heard about it if he'd been out running errands with the new pet). Piper had offered to tag along with the kids, considering himself useful in Rogues disputes, but Jai had begged him to stay behind. The brand spanking new teen hero didn't want it to look like he had an adult chaperone.

"I, um…the kids were busy, and, well…first weekend and all."

Roy broke off into a string of colorful and creative cursing. Piper waited for him to finish, and watched as a woman with a stroller abruptly changed courses on the sidewalk to avoid them.

"They've already got a mission?" Roy finally yelped.

Reluctantly, Piper nodded. "It's just the Rogues and Downpour though-"

"So it's here? Why didn't you go with them?!"

Well at least someone thought he was useful.

"The kids didn't want me tagging along."

"So?!"

"We're a very quick phone call away Roy. Calm down. Just give them a chance to impress you, okay? Your daughter is working with some incredible and experienced young people right now."

Roy had Arrow Dog's leash in a white knuckled grip and he was biting his lip so hard Piper was surprised he didn't see a trickle of blood slide down his chin. After a moment Roy gave a stiff nod, and he started walking towards his house. Piper was momentarily offended that Roy had just walked off without saying goodbye, but then Roy turned around and snapped at him. "C'mon Piper. You just dropped that bombshell on me so now you're going to sit and wait next to every phone and signal device I have with me."

Piper suddenly regretted admitting that he didn't have plans. He hefted up his bag of new records and CDs and followed after Roy Harper and his ridiculous little dog.

*******

The battle with the Rogues did not go at all how Damian expected.

Battles in Gotham, though not simple per se, at least had some sense of rhythm. Sometimes they did a little detective work, although their regulars often negated the need (hm…someone robbed the Second National Bank on 22nd Street of two hundred thousand dollars in two dollar bills). Then they had a fight, or a series of fights if it was some kind of master plan, and eventually the crooks were sent to Arkham or Blackgate, where they would break out and begin the merry cycle again.

There were variations, but typically that's how it went. Maybe Gotham was the odd city, but Damian was pretty sure he'd never seen the part of a villainous battle where the heroes chit chatted with the bad guys (y'know, unless the bad guy was nicely filling out a cat suit).

And yet, that was the very first thing Bart Allen and Irey West did when they arrived on scene. The two speedsters ran off while Wonder Girl was still parking their plane, and when the other Titans caught up to them Bart was having an involved conversation with Captain Cold. Irey was across the "battle field" (a pedestrian mall) making an appeal to Downpour.

Captain Cold had made a wall of ice to protect him and two other Rogues (Heat Wave and…Prankster? Trickster? Something like that, at any rate). He was leaning against the wall rubbing his glasses against his parka while he spoke with Bart. "So they promoted you again kid?"

Bart had changed into a Flash costume. "Kind of. Impulse was ready to be Kid Flash, so I'm doing this now. Try not to kill me this time, okay?"

"I told you, that was mismanagement. Impulse was good enough to be Kid Flash ages ago…new Teen Titans?" Cold guessed, noticing the group of confused looking heroes approaching him.

Bart smiled and waved at the group. "Yeah. I think you've already met Wondergirl. This is Shaytun, Speedy, and Burst."

"Hi." Speedy waved at the Rogues with her fingertips. Cold gave them a curt nod, Heat Wave saluted them with one of his flame guns, and the younger one made a purring noise at Lian. She took a step back, and Damian took a protective stance in front of her.

"Uh…aren't we supposed to be fighting them?" Burst asked.

"If it comes to that," Bart said. "Cold and his guys want pretty much the same thing we do. Get the area cleared of civilians and get Downpour to stop pitching a hissy with as little fuss as possible. So for now we're all on the same side."

"And what triggered this 'hissy'?" Damian asked with a sneer.

Bart turned back towards his Rogues. "Guys? It's a good question."

"Kid found out how Mardon died. Got it in his head that we were responsible," Cold said.

"Oh gee, maybe because you coated his legs in ice and left him for dead," the little pervy one said.

Cold whapped him with the butt of his gun and the guy hit the ground with a loud 'oof'.

"Mardon had a fighting chance. He shoulda known what would happen when he broke the rules."

"Mm, well fascinating as all that is," Bart interrupted, "what you're basically saying is that we've got a crazily superpowered meta freaking out right now because of his long suppressed Daddy issues, and you're the focal point of his rage. Didja think of maybe getting your own sorry butt away from all the innocent bystanders?"

"Um…isn't Kid Flash trying to reason with the crazy kid right now?" Speedy asked.

As if on cue, Irey was blasted into the other side of Cold's ice barrier. He calmly put his glasses back on and added another layer of ice, as the indent Irey made had put some cracks in it.

"Oh holy crap! Is she okay?" Lian tried to dart out from the barrier, but Damian grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

Bart zipped around and back in the time it took Lian to shrug out of Damian's grip. He was holding Irey in his arms. She looked dazed, and there was a trickle of blood coming down the side of her face. "Irey?" Bart murmured.

She looked up at him in confusion, then her eyes focused and she struggled out of her cousin's arms. "Well someone's in a mood. I was pretty close to talking him down, but then he trashed my new uniform and blasted me with a lightning bolt."

Cold smirked. "The kid's not a fan of the Flashes."

"We always got along before," Irey whined. "I'm gonna try again."

"Kid Flash, wait!" Bart yelled, but Irey had already taken off.

"Um, um, I've got distance weapons. Should I try to shoot him?" Lian asked.

"Knock yourself out," Heatwave said. "I think Flash the youngest had a good point about us clearing the area Len. We're just putting people in danger."

"And where the frick would he like us to go?" Cold snapped. "Siberia? How're we getting there, exactly? Whatever goes down, we have to fight our way out."

"I could give Evan a call."

"Yeah, Trickster could give Mirror Master a call. Where the hell is he anyway? He was here earlier," Heatwave grumbled.

While the Rogues argued among themselves, Lian edged up to the ice wall and peered over it. Damian walked up behind her and squinted into the distance. He could see Irey running from mini tornadoes and lightning blasts. They couldn't hear anything, given the roaring wind, but it was clear that Irey was trying to reason with Downpour, and she looked distressed while doing so.

"What are you going to fire at them?" Damian asked.

Lian chewed her lip. "I'm not really sure. Actually, now that I see all that wind I think my odds of hitting him are pretty terrible."

"Do you have anything that would disperse if you got close to him?"

"Yeah. Oh, I've got one with knockout gas." She started rooting around in her quiver. "And it wouldn't even hurt Kid Flash if it got her too. She'd metabolize it like right away."

Then Irey was blasted again, with a bolt so powerful it lit up the cloudy sky like fireworks. Irey went soaring through the air.

In the blink of an eye Cassie was up and over the ice shield. She caught the unconscious speedster and started for their jet, avoiding more blasts and twisters as she went.

"Try the knock out arrow," Bart instructed. "I'll see if I can distract him."

"What should I do? Should I do that?" X'hawn asked.

Bart considered him. "You fly, right?" X'hawn nodded. "Then yeah. But be careful." Bart took off, running wildly around Downpour and drawing his fire.

X'hawn looked pale, even for him. He took a deep breath, then flew unsteadily over the ice barrier.

Damian let out a groan when he saw X'hawn in the air. It was pretty clear he'd barely practiced flying, and that none of that practice had involved heavy winds. X'hawn was being whipped around by the manifestations of Downpour's temper tantrum, but at least any time a piece of debris came too close to him he was able to zap it with solar energy blasts.

"Here goes nothing," Lian murmured. She took aim and sent her knockout arrow in the general direction of the young supervillain.

It got pretty close to him too.

Unfortunately, Downpour noticed the arrow before it detonated. Lip curling in annoyance, Downpour aimed his left hand at the arrow and sent it hurling back towards the ice barrier. It landed in the top, and then thick pungent smoke started spurting from it.

Damian threw an arm over Lian's back and started running with her from the smoke. He lost track of the Rogues as they fled the knockout gas, and then they had to dodge debris until they found cover behind a tipped over vendor's cart.

Lian was coughing. "Shit, that sucked! Oh Dami, I'm so sorry. I dropped my bow. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Damian ground out through clenched teeth. "It's not helping."

"S-sorry, um, I mean-god I suck at this!"

"Well there is a learning curve. Don't let it get under your skin. We're still on the field."

"Right, right."

Damian cautiously leaned around the cart. While he scanned the ground for Lian's bow he saw the Trickster, an obvious victim of the knockout gas as he was sprawled on the ground, and terribly vulnerable to Downpour's attacks. There was no sign of Captain Cold or Heatwave.

"Speedy, that criminal is in harm's way. We've got to move him."

"K-kay. My bow's not too far away. Um…should we just, like, run out there?"

"I'll cover you," Damian snapped. He extracted a couple of batarangs from the compartments in his arm bands (for all the good those would do in a windstorm), and then the two darted out into the open, hunched over as low to the ground as possible.

Lian retrieved her bow and Damian pulled the unconscious criminal back to the ice barricade. Lian followed. "We can't stay here," she said. "Without Captain Cold to keep reinforcing it, this ice thing's gonna give the next time something big hits it."

"It's good enough for now. What we've got to do is stop Downpour. How are Flash and Burst doing?"

Lian peered over the edge of the barricade. "Not so great. Flash can't seem to land a hit and Burst is just kinda flopping around up there. I wonder where Wondergirl is. Do you think that means Kid Flash is really hurt? I mean, that she hasn't come back?"

Damian was certain that it was a bad sign, but he didn't want to say anything and so pretended the roar of the wind had drowned out Lian's words.

"How much do you know about Downpour?" Damian asked.

Lian scooted down behind the ice barrier and frowned. "Not much. Irey always said he was a good kid, just screwed up, but this is really pushing it. She thought he was going to reform someday, like the Pied Piper."

"Hm. And then he shot her in the chest with a miniature hurricane."

"Yeah, hopefully she's over him now. I hope she's okay."

Damian crossed his arms. "We need more information. Downpour is not one of my Rogues. I don't understand his abilities or how to engage him in combat."

"So…should we call Tech? I mean, Downpour is one of his family's Rogues, and he's supposed to be our Oracle."

Damian scowled, but she had a point. They needed whatever info Jai could provide them with. "Call him and give me the relevant details. I'm going to see about finding us more permanent shelter."

"What about the-" The cart they'd crouched behind before whizzed over their heads and into a building façade, showering the pavement with pieces of brick and plaster. "Yeah, you should get on that."

Damian hunched down again and ran blindly through the storm, looking for a place to hide. He saw a glint of light in one of the store windows before it was smashed in by a park bench. Damian whipped around, wondering what had gotten his attention, and then he saw another storefront (a mirrored surface) that contained two of the Flash Rogues.

"So Mirror Master is around," he murmured. He continued running, looking for anything that could make effective shelter, but Downpour was really wreaking havoc on the little mall. They might have to fall back and strategize.

At least all the civilians in the area had managed to flee by then.

Damian got back to the ice barrier just as Lian was ending her communication with Jai. "Thanks for the help Tech. Bye." She looked up at Damian with a forced smile. "He couldn't tell me a whole lot. Downpour's real name is Josh Jackam. He inherited his powers from his dad, who wasn't a meta, but used a weather controlling device he stole from his brother. The device didn't give his dad powers, but he got them somehow. His mom was sacrificed to a Flash worshipping cult when he was a baby, and then he was shuffled around a bunch until he was seemingly killed by Inertia."

"Seemingly?"

"He was teleported to a hell realm, apparently. Since he's come back he's been screwed up but manageable. I guess he started running with the Rogues in an effort to understand who his dad was."

"How did his father die?" Damian asked. He'd gotten that the Rogues had something to do with it, but their overheard argument had lacked specifics.

Lian shrugged. "No one's really sure. Mark Mardon was found in an abandoned building with his throat cut. There was evidence of frost bite and hypothermia, but we just heard Cold say he'd frozen the guy's legs. No one knows who actually killed him."

"And Downpour is reacting like this because he feels betrayed," Damian summarized. He took a measured breath. "Tech didn't have any detailed information on Downpour's powers? Is there a chance he'll exhaust himself?"

"No one's seen him do that much before. He's pretty new to the costumed villainy scene, and like everyone's said, he's never freaked out like this or done anything terribly evil and reckless before."

Damian definitely did not like proceeding without appropriate intel. He would have to have words with Bart Allen later about misleading his team regarding the difficulty of a mission. "The other Rogues are still present. I saw Mirror Master and Heatwave in a store window. Apparently they don't leave their own for dead after all." Damian toed Trickster with his boot.

"Should we huck him at a piece of glass and run for it?" Lian asked.

Damian looked down at the ridiculously clad burden and considered it. "That…doesn't seem responsible. I'm sure my father would complain about it."

"Kay. So what do we do?"

Damian caught a flash of orange and green out of the corner of his eye. He darted forward, and grabbed onto the arm that had been reaching out of the ice wall. He flipped Mirror Master over his shoulder and then pinned him to the ground.

Mirror Master started growling swears and threats, so Damian kneed him in the gut and put a little more pressure on his hold. "I can break your arm in three different places from this position. You might want to reconsider your tone."

"Fine, you fucking pri-ow! For fuck's sake will you stop it?! I'm just trying to grab Trickster and get out of here!"

Damian looked behind his shoulder at the ice wall, and then down at Mirror Master. "I have a plan. It requires your cooperation-"

"I ain't fucking helping a group of sidekicks-"

"If you do as told I will look the other way when you and your cohorts exit via mirror. But if you'd rather fight me on this then I've no problem showing you how many of your bones I can break before you pass out from pain."

"Um, Shaytun, that's probably considered cruel and unusual-"

"Go ahead an' try it on me you stupid fucking shit! Weren't you Robin until last week? Do you think your nancy little fairy booties scare me-AURGH!"

"Shaytun, what are you doing?!" Lian yelped.

Damian had made good on his threat, and broken Mirror Master's arm in the three different places. "Are you feeling cooperative yet?"

"Aye, aye, just let me go! There's no need to turn the arm, that's just bad manners!"

Damian carefully let the Rogue up, ready to pounce on him again if he tried to run. Mirror Master sat up and gingerly felt along his broken arm with his good one. "So what's your brilliant plan?"

Damian communicated it, and only had to break a few of Mirror Master's fingers before he agreed to it.

He was going to have to talk to Irey and Bart later about their Rogues' impression of him. How in the hell had Mirror Master confused him with a prepubescent Dick Grayson?

He'd thought his reputation was more far reaching than that.

*******

"How can none of the local news stations have footage of the fight?" Roy snapped. He threw his TV remote across the room and glared at his television set as though it had personally wronged him. "I'm going down there."

"Don't go down there," Piper said dully. He was getting rather tired of repeating himself. In the two hours he'd been sitting in Roy's living room staring at phones, signal devices, and the completely unhelpful local news, he'd had to talk Roy out of suiting up and heading out to help the kids at least once every five to ten minutes. At one point he'd had to grab him by the arm and haul him back to the sofa.

"Clearly they need help!"

"And yet no one's called the Justice League."

"It doesn't take this long to take down Flash Rogues!"

Piper narrowed his eyes. "And how much do you know about the Rogues?"

"I know…not a whole hell of a lot, but I'd never thought Wally's guys were as bad as, like the Gotham ones or anything." Roy sat back down on the couch. "C'mon, that wasn't a shot at you. You haven't been a Rogue since before the kids were born."

"And since then I've been helping Wally deal with them. Look, even though I don't think any of them will hurt your daughter, they're still not exactly an easy takedown. You need to give it time."

"Right, right."

They went back to sitting in an uncomfortable total silence (as all the phones and signal devices continued to be stubbornly quiet), and after a few minutes Roy jumped up again. "Roy-"

"I'm getting my laptop. Maybe somebody posted something online about the fight."

Piper rolled his eyes, but he remained seated on the floor with his back leaning against the couch. While Roy looked for news on his computer, Piper opened one of his new CD sets and started reading the liner notes.

"What's that?" Roy asked.

"Hm? Oh, a Bessie Smith box set."

"Bessie Smith? That's going back a ways."

"To the dawn of recording," Piper said. "I'm surprised you know who she is. I usually get blank looks from people your age when I talk about Bessie Smith."

"People my age?" Roy asked with an amused grin. "Dude, I'm not that much younger than you. And if the only other guy my age you talk to is Wally, that explains the blank looks. He only listens to top forty radio. It's probably a side effect of living here. The music scene in this city is fucking terrible."

"It used to be much better," Piper said with a long suffering sigh. "All my favorite little hole in the wall clubs and bars closed down. No venues, no music scene."

"And the radio is a fucking travesty here."

"Mm. Amen to that. So…you like music?" Piper asked, intrigued and trying very hard to conceal it.

Roy looked up from his laptop, also visibly invested in the conversation. "Love music. I used to be in a band, actually. Damn, that was forever ago now."

"What did you play?" Piper asked.

"Bluesy kinda rock stuff. We were probably terrible, but when I was eighteen I thought we were the shit. I was the drummer." He patted his empty shirt sleeve. "It was a long time ago. Were you ever in a band?"

Piper shook his head.

"But you're such a music nut. How come you never joined a band?"

"Because I suck? I just like to listen to music. I'm not very good at making it."

Roy shook his head. "I call bullshit. Anyone who cares about music the way you obviously do can learn how to make it. So who convinced you you sucked?"

"Everyone. Always."

Roy rolled his eyes. "I'll drop it for now, but dude…I'm not going to believe you when you say you suck until I hear you play something."

"I wish I could hear your band. You spoke pretty dismissively of them yourself just now, but based on your passion equals talent argument…"

Roy shut his computer down and stood up. "If you really want to hear a Great Frog album, I can oblige you."

"Great Frog?"

"That was our name."

Piper smacked a hand over his mouth, not quite in time to hide his amused snort. "That sounds terrible."

"Told you. C'mon, I've got a couple of our records upstairs."

"Alright. Lead the way."

*******

A lot of the Bats were master strategists. Everyone knew Batman was capable of outthinking just about any hero in the business, to the point that he was unsettlingly manipulative as an accidental default. Tim Drake had turned out to be exactly the same, and even though Dick wasn't invasive with his intelligence, he was usually the hero his agemates turned to when they needed a plan.

Damian could strategize. When he wanted to.

Usually he preferred to just hit the bad guys until they stopped moving.

As such, his plan was pretty simple. Lian fired arrows at the glass storefronts until enough reflective surfaces were swirling through the air that eventually some settled near Downpour. Mirror Master teleported himself and Damian just behind the distraught teenager, and Damian got him in a chokehold.

Five minutes later, the unconscious supervillain was zip stripped, Bart was on the phone with the KCPD, and the Rogues had departed via mirror just as Damian promised.

Damian threw a withering glare Bart's way before stalking off to the plane.

*******

"Holy cow!"

"What is it?" Damian asked.

"Someone told my dad about the battle," Lian answered. "I've got a bazillion text messages asking me if I'm okay. Uh…Wondergirl!" Lian jogged over to Cassie. "I want to apologize in advance if my dad harasses you or Flash about our mission."

"It's okay Speedy, I already took a few texts from your dad while I was flying us back to New York," Cassie said with a wry grin. "We knew what we were signing up for when we took our posts. Everyone in the community knows how protective your dad is of you. We think it's sweet."

"Sweet's certainly not the word I'd use," Lian said. She looked down at her phone and frowned. "Oh gross. Daddy wants me to take our dog to the vet. I've got school work and Titans stuff now. When the heck am I supposed to go to the vet?"

The Titans had just gotten back to their tower, except Bart, who had remained behind in Keystone to talk to the cops and do a little cleanup. He'd still gotten back to the Tower before everyone else, and had transferred Irey to their infirmary as soon as the plane landed.

"You guys should head inside, clean yourselves up, and apparently call your dad. I want you back in the conference room in a half hour though. We still have things to talk about before our first day is done, alright?" Cassie asked.

Lian nodded, and went for the elevator. Damian fell into step behind her, and X'hawn meekly got on the elevator after them.

"You need some instruction in flight," Damian said, almost as soon as the doors had closed.

X'hawn frowned and looked at his feet.

Lian briefly looked up from her phone to roll her eyes at Damian. She finished her text, and then gave X'hawn's shoulder a gentle pat. "Maybe Cassie can give you some pointers. We've all got a lot of room for improvement right now, since we're just starting out."

"Some of us aren't just starting out," Damian reminded her.

"Then some of us should be better at talking to their teammates," Lian said, making unflinching eye contact.

Damian frowned and turned away, unsettled by her reprimand.

He hadn't been wrong. X'hawn did need to learn how to fly if he was going to use his flight in battle.

The elevator stopped on the main floor, and the teens went their separate ways to their private rooms.

Thanks to superspeed accelerated healing, by the time a half hour passed Irey was also ready to join them in the console room. She was spinning a chair around with her heels when the rest of the kids got in.

Lian ran up to her and gave her a hug. "Hey! Feeling better then? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Believe it or not, but that wasn't the first lightning bolt to the chest I've ever taken. Did you guys have a good rest-of-mission without me?"

"Oh yes," Damian said sarcastically. "We only had to threaten a mercenary and then strike up a deal with him to subdue the rampaging meta." He turned the full strength of his glare on Bart. "You completely misled us about the nature of that fight. Had I known how powerful Downpour was, I never would have allowed you to take a team of amateurs to face him. Someone could have been killed."

"Josh wouldn't kill anyone," Irey insisted.

"Sweetie, he zapped you pretty good back there," Lian said as gently as she was able. "I don't think his intentions were very good."

"He was freaking out, but…um…he wouldn't really hurt anyone," Irey mumbled.

Jai looked around nervously, and then threw in his tentative agreement. "That whole thing was really out of character for Jackam. Shaytun…Bart wasn't trying to mislead you."

Bart rubbed at the back of his neck. "Thanks guys, but Damian's right. It was probably a bad idea to rush right out like that. Let's say no more missions until at least next weekend? Cass has some training exercises she wants you to do. It's all like team building stuff."

They nodded their tentative assent.

Cassie looked at her phone and frowned. "I think it's getting on the late side to start any of this now though. Why don't we break for the night and get an early start in the morning. Sound good?"

Murmurs of assent went around the table, and they were just about to leave for their rooms once more when the automatic doors leading to the main hallway slid open.

Several things happened very quickly before anyone was able to see who opened the doors. First Bart and Irey shot out of their chairs and took defensive positions in front of the table. Lian pulled an arrow from her quiver at random and nocked it, aiming coolly at the doorway. Damian moved in front of her, armed with a batarang. Cassie rose from her seat and calmly turned her attention to the doorway, and X'hawn and Jai looked around in confusion.

Importantly, not a single alarm sounded.

The slender Asian teenager standing in the doorway took all this in with a serene expression, and then he inclined his head in a short bow at the assembled heroes. "Hello Titans. My name is Billy Hong. I was interested in joining your team."

The Titans continued to eye him with suspicion, but no one fired their weapons. Apparently taking that as an invitation, Billy strode into the room and seated himself in an empty chair.

*******

Dick spent a good chunk of the day on the road driving his possessions from New York to Keystone, with Tim along for the ride as his moving buddy. It was pretty late by the time he pulled into Roy's driveway (his driveway too now; he had to get into the habit of thinking of this as his house and not just Roy and Lian's or he was going to piss his boyfriend off), and Tim had fallen asleep with his head resting against the passenger window. Dick left him curled up in his seat for the moment, and went inside to greet his boyfriend.

"Roy?" Even though the light was on, he wasn't in the living room. Dick stuck his head in the kitchen, which was also empty, and then he heard noise coming from upstairs. He could hear music coming from Roy's room.

Dick walked into the bedroom and stopped short. Roy and Piper were sitting on the bed together. Piper was looking through old pictures, album art, and fliers, and Roy was leaning over him looking over his shoulder. They weren't doing anything in the least bit sexual, which made the sudden flicker of 'mine' Dick felt shooting through his system all the more surprising.

No, the atmosphere in the room wasn't sexually charged in the least, but there was something intimate about it despite that, and Dick felt like he was intruding.

Then he realized what album they were listening to, and he felt a stab of hurt. Dick hadn't listened to Great Frog in years, not since they'd broken up. He'd asked Roy repeatedly for a copy of their only recording, but he'd never gotten around to burning it for him.

Piper was the first to notice him lurking in the doorway. "Hello Dick. Did you just get here?"

Roy shot up off the bed and walked over to him. "Hey. You made really good time. I can't believe you're here already. Where's Tim?"

"He's…he's sleeping in the truck. Um…" Dick gave himself a mental shake, still a little thrown. "I think we should probably move my stuff in the morning. Is it cool if he crashes here with us tonight?"

"Yeah, of course. The guest room is Ollie-free, so consider it Tim's."

"Are you moving in?" Piper asked. Dick nodded, and while Piper congratulated them Roy turned off the music and gathered up all his mementos of his old band. Dick watched with some regret as he put the odds and ends back in a box in his closet. "I'd better get going. It's pretty late, and you two clearly have things to do. It was nice seeing you again Dick."

"Yeah, nice seeing you too," Dick said, making the effort to give Piper a genuine smile.

Roy quirked an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"

Dick nodded, and then went downstairs to wake Tim up.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irey and Lian have an uncomfortable chat with their fathers before a Thanksgiving celebration for JL alumni on the Watchtower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written and posted out of sequence. When I originally updated this fic on fanfiction.net, this chapter was posted on Thanksgiving 2012. Chapter Twenty Eight picks up directly after Chapter Twenty Six. Sorry for any confusion.

Chapter Twenty Seven

The West family was mostly gathered in their kitchen getting ready for a Justice League alumni Thanksgiving celebration up on the Watchtower. Jai was at the table frosting cupcakes, Linda was putting the finishing touches on her stuffed acorn squash, Wally had been relegated to doing dishes (without superspeed; kitchen rule) and Irey was battling with stubbornly sticky oatmeal raisin cookie dough. "Mom, does this need more flour?"

"If it's not coming off the spoon then maybe," Jai teased.

Irey held up her hands, which looked something like low grade monster movie effects with the way the bits of oatmeal were flaking off of her skin, and pouted. "Can someone get the flour out of the pantry for me? I thought I was done with it already."

"You have superspeed, you do it."

"Jai, just get your sister the flour. We've been over this; no speed in the kitchen when the stove's on," Linda snapped.

"But Mom, I'm doing someth-"

"Then you shouldn't have been rude to your sister. Get up mister man and get the flour."

Grumbling under his breath, Jai reluctantly made his way to the pantry. Feeling a little bad, Irey took a look at his cupcakes and let out an excited squeal. "Those look great so far, Jai! The little turkeys and pumpkins you made on them look really cute!"

"Thanks," Jai mumbled. He was almost to the counter with the flour when Irey's phone went off. She shot puppy eyes at Jai, who scowled at her.

"For the love of…I've got it." Wally dried his hands off with a dishtowel and then picked up Irey's phone. He clicked on the text and read it aloud. "'Hey hon, Daddy was just in talking bout the party. Creep boy's going to be there so make sure you wear something baggy. Can't wait for your cookies'…Irey, what the hell is this?"

"Was that from Lian?" Linda asked, looking away from her pan of squash. Even Jai was staring at her. "What did she mean, wear something baggy?"

"I think it's pretty obvious what she meant, Mom. Who's Creep boy?" Jai asked.

"Um…um…" Irey clenched and unclenched her hands a few times. The dough squelched unpleasantly through her fingers, but it was nothing to the discomfort of having her family staring at her with varying shades of concern on their faces. "Y'know…that probably was Lian, and um, I don't think-I don't think I got it either. M'gonnagoacrossthestreetandask heraboutitreallyquickberight back-bye!"

She took off running, and by the time she was through the Harper house and standing in front of Lian's bedroom door the speedforce had burned off the cookie dough. She knocked on Lian's door, then barged in anyway, breathing heavily and visibly shaking.

"Lianwhatthehell?!Mydadreadthattextaloudinthekitche n!"

Lian was sitting in front of her makeup mirror with a brush halfway through her waist length black hair. She regarded Irey with some surprise, and arched one of her thick, shapely brows. "Uh…huh?"

Irey forced herself to take a few deep breaths and tried again. "Dad read your text aloud."

"Shit." Lian set her brush down and rose to her feet. "Shit! Irey, why did you run here?!"

"I don't know, I panicked!"

"Yeah, apparently! Oh shit, Irey, what are we going to do?"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Girls, can we talk for a minute?"

Lian shot Irey a glare worthy of the Bat family, then went over and opened her bedroom door. Both of their fathers were standing in the hallway, and Wally was still holding Irey's phone. "So…about Creep boy," Roy said.

With a long suffering sigh, Lian stepped aside and let them in. Irey went to stand in the corner, still breathing rather fast and fidgeting with her fingers. Wally crossed the room to stand next to her and wordlessly handed her the phone. Irey took it and put it in her pocket, all the while avoiding her father's eyes.

"Girls, we're not mad at you," Roy said. "Irey, sweetheart, please calm down. We just want to talk about that text."

"It was just a joke, Daddy," Lian said, with a smile that looked completely natural. "It was an inside thing. I guess you didn't get it."

Wally frowned at her. "It sounded an awful lot like one of our friends makes you girls uncomfortable."

"Guys, we know what Gar can be like," Roy added. "If he's saying anything inappropriate you need to tell us. He's probably just joking anyway. We'll have a talk with him and straighten it out, okay? Seriously, we don't want you to be uncomfortable at Justice League gatherings."

"We're your dads. It's our job to look after you," Wally said with a nod.

It was more than a little weird to see them agree about something, since Wally and Roy had been snarking at each other almost constantly since they'd become neighbors. But everyone always said that when it really mattered, Red Arrow and the Flash could work together. Apparently that went for parenting moments too.

They were also saying pretty much everything Irey had wanted them to, so she broke silence first.

"It's not that he's making us uncomfortable per se…he just says weird things sometimes and his jokes fall flat."

Wally nodded, but Roy still looked skeptical. "Y'know, when Mia first joined the Teen Titans Gar was one of the peer mentors. She was sixteen at the time, and he was far enough into his twenties that he should not have been flirting with her. And Gar sucks at flirting. I had to talk to him about not sexually harassing Ollie's new sidekick."

"Whoa, Roy, that's going a bit far, don't you think?" Wally asked, starting to look as tense as his daughter. "I mean, Gar is Gar, but sexual harassment? That's kind of a serious term."

"Yeah, and try to tell me it didn't pop into your head when you found out our kids are putting on sweatshirts so he won't ogle them," Roy snapped. He turned to look at Lian. "I noticed you're not wearing that new dress you bought for the party."

She was wearing a floor length skirt and a loose fitting sweater instead. Her cheeks went pink. "Yeah, um…well the skirt was kinda short."

"I pointed that our when you wanted to buy it. Didn't bother you then."

Irey smirked. "Well sure, it's all well and good to wear flirty clothes when you only think it's gonna be Damian-"

"Irey, shut up right now or I'm not helping you with your hair ever again."

Wally rubbed at his eyes, looking exasperated. "Girls, can you give us a straight answer here? What is Garfield saying to you, exactly? And if you feel harassed, you feel harassed. We'll put an end to it. It's kinda in the daddy job description."

"Well…he makes weird purring noises, for starters. Like usually when we hafta bend over and get something, but sometimes it's just when we walk into the room," Irey said.

"He calls me legs sometimes," Lian added. "And he says weird comments about arrows and shafts."

"Sometimes I say stupid things and he twists them around sexually on me. And then he does the purring thing again."

"He offers to turn into a horse and let me ride him."

It took the girls nearly ten minutes to get through every inappropriate thing Roy and Wally's longtime friend had ever said to them. By the end of it, Irey felt like a weight had been removed from her. She'd never bothered confiding all that to anyone, even Lian, because she didn't really like to talk about it. They'd acknowledged to each other that Beast Boy sketched them out, and they helped each other avoid him, but they usually didn't say much.

Lian chewed on her lip, still looking nervous. "It's…really okay? You're not…mad?"

"Not at you," Wally said, in a tone that was nearly a growl.

"I wish you'd told us all that sooner. Li, I know Gar's a perv. The guy's always been that way. I just really didn't think he'd say that shit to my fourteen year old daughter."

"Fucking tell me about it," Wally said.

"Well, I mean, it never seems like he means it." Irey hoped it was clear that even though she felt awkward around Beast Boy and wished he wouldn't try to joke around with her, she still felt safe around him. She didn't think the older hero would ever act on his horrible innuendos.

"It doesn't matter if he means it or not. He still shouldn't be saying those things to you girls." Wally placed a hand on Irey's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "We'll talk to him honey, I promise."

"And you won't punch him in the face?" Lian asked wryly, nodding towards her father.

Roy smirked. "Depends on what he says when we bring it up."

"I don't want you guys to lose a friendship over this. You guys have known Beast Boy since before we were born," Lian said.

"Yeah, but you come first," Roy said simply. "You always come first. You're our daughters. And seriously girls, don't hide shit like this from us."

"Yeah, what he said," Wally sounded in with another nod. "You come to us if anything like this ever happens again, okay?"

"Okay…" Irey mumbled.

Wally and Roy turned to leave when Lian cleared her throat. She looked exceptionally emotional, and she still wasn't quite meeting Roy's eyes. Irey stared at her in some surprise. She'd thought the conversation was finished.

"Um…Daddy? What if there's someone else besides Gar Logan and, um…would you still talk to them for me too?"

"Of course Peanut. Who is it?" Roy asked. Wally stopped walking, also engaged with the conversation.

Irey couldn't remember ever having inappropriate comments made to her by another superhero, so she also perked up, wondering what Lian was going to say.

"Um…I mean, I mean it's not as bad as what Beast Boy says, but…could you talk to Uncle Hal?"

"Hal?" Roy repeated, sounding stunned. "What's Hal been saying?"

"It's just stupid stuff, but he talks about how pretty I am a lot. He says I really shouldn't try so hard at school and read all those books, because I don't need to be smart with a body like this. He said I have a nice shape, and that I'm going to make some boy very miserable someday. It's-it's stupid stuff. But I wish he wouldn't say it."

Roy looked like he'd been punched in the stomach, but he still nodded. "I'll talk to him. Li…I'm glad you told me." He gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head. Lian squeezed him tightly, then turned away and wiped at her eyes. "Oh, and wear your new dress. I spent eighty bucks on that thing, and it wasn't so it could hang up in your closet."

"Yeah, Irey, that goes for you too. Wear whatever you want, okay princess? If anybody says anything they'll answer to us."

Irey smiled at him. "Thanks Daddy. Um…I'll come home and finish the cookies in a minute."

"That's cool. I need to fill your mom in anyway."

The adults left the room, Wally shutting the door behind them, and then Lian sat down heavily on her mattress. "Well that was one of the most awkward conversations of my life."

"Yep. That royally sucked."

"Hal fucking Jordan!" Roy's incredulous shout reached them from the end of the hall, through the closed door. Wearing an amused smirk, Lian went over and opened her door a crack. Irey stood behind her to listen. "I can't believe I have to tell the most bad ass of all Green Lanterns to stop sexually harassing my kid! God! Why is this even an issue? What the fuck?! I don't want to say this to Hal! The guy's a god damn legend. It's totally different from telling Gar to cut the shit."

"Blame Cheshire's genes," Wally answered smugly. "My teenage daughter is flat as a board. Doesn't hold the interest of perverts and makes my life easier."

Irey felt her eyes well with tears. She stuck a fist in her mouth and bit down, hard.

Lian let out an indignant huff and threw her door all the way open. "Mr. West, you're an asshole!" Then she turned to Irey. "Sweetie, do not listen to him. You are beautiful, okay? You are lean and elegant and I would kill for your bod. Seriously. You're built like a dancer and it's lovely."

"I look like a prepubescent boy," Irey sniffled. "And apparently even my daddy thinks so, and he always said I was pretty."

Wally tried to walk into the room and Lian slammed the door in his face. She locked it, and then went to her dresser, fetched a box of tissues, and handed them to Irey. Wally was knocking on the door. "Go away!" Lian yelled.

"Princess, I did not mean-"

"You didn't think we could hear you!" Lian snapped, rolling her eyes.

"Irey, sweetheart, you're a beautiful girl!" Roy called, clearly standing some distance from Wally and the locked door. "Your dad was just being an ass!"

"Hey!"

"Well dude, you were. Seriously, we weren't even at the stairs yet."

Lian unlocked the door and flung it open again. "Oh, so it only matters what you say about us if we can hear it? You can't just be gentlemanly about girls all the time? You know what, maybe you shouldn't talk to Beast Boy and Green Lantern for us, because I don't think you know what you really need to say. It's not 'don't say sleazy things to our daughters', it's getting them not to think sleazy, degrading things about women in general. That's the fucking problem."

Irey stared at Lian in some awe. "Um…yeah. What she said."

Wally rounded on Roy. "Are you really going to let her talk to us like that?"

"I didn't raise my kid to keep her thoughts and opinions to herself." He looked past Wally and inclined his head slightly towards Lian. "You've got a point, but Li, we can only do so much to change their minds. Okay? I'll do what I can. At the absolute least, none of my friends are ever going to say sleazy things to you again."

"Thanks Daddy."

"Unbelievable," Wally snapped.

Roy turned an exasperated look to the speedsters. "Wally, can you just leave and finish your baking? I think Li and I need to have some one-on-one time."

Wally answered with a scowl. "Yeah, I think we could use some one-on-one time too. Irey, want to take a run before you finish the cookies?"

Irey wiped at her eyes again, but she nodded. "That'd probably be good. Um, bye Lian. See you at the party."

Lian gave her a hug, told her she was pretty again, and then Irey and Wally generated their costumes from the speedforce and took off.

*******

Wally and Irey didn't have much of a heart to heart on their run. They just ran, enjoyed each other's company, and when they stopped in Quebec for some ice-cream Wally apologized for what he'd said. He fumbled the conversation a little, talking about teenage girls and body issues the way a cocky adult male who was completely out of his comfort zone would, but he was trying and Irey appreciated it.

The fact was, she was just never going to feel pretty. For as long as she could remember, she'd been surrounded by people who were the epitome of human (and superhuman) beauty. Even the non-metas in her life. Her mother was a knockout (and so was her brother, as he'd inherited the best of both his parents' physical features, leaving Irey with the gangly limbs, long nose, and wide mouth), her aunt Iris had been a classic beauty and was aging very gracefully, and her best friend couldn't walk down the street without getting catcalled and hollered at.

It's not that she wanted people to catcall and holler at her, but it would have been nice if people flirted with her sometimes too. Only her family called her pretty, and she didn't really believe it when it came from her mom or her uncle Barry or someone.

When they got back to their house, Irey asked her mom if she could just finish the cookies for her. She went upstairs and went through her closet, wondering what to wear to the stupid party.

Then Jai walked into the room. "Jai!" Irey squeaked. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

"Hey, you're not naked yet." He strolled over to her and started inspecting her clothes. "Lian called me and filled me in. We figured that you were probably being down on yourself, considering Dad's fuck up."

"Um…just a smidge."

"Look, stop trying to dress like you have a figure you don't and you'll be stunning. Seriously, rock the androgyny a little more. I do, and it works great for me."

"You're femmie gay kid," Irey pointed out skeptically.

"Trust me, girls can do this too without looking butch." He handed her a black pencil skirt their aunt Iris had bought her for Christmas (and that she'd worn once to make the woman happy and get her mother off her back about it), and then disappeared for his own room. Irey stared at the skirt with a wrinkled brow, and a moment later Jai came back with a blood red dress shirt, a black fedora, and a makeup kit. "Put those on, with a black tank top and some nylons. Do you still have those army boots you got when we went shopping for school?"

"Yeah…"

"Wear those."

Deciding it was easier to just listen to Jai rather than argue with him, Irey did as instructed and went to the bathroom to get changed. When she came out Jai unbuttoned half the buttons on the dress shirt so that the tank top showed. Then he styled her hair and did her makeup.

When she looked in the mirror she hardly saw herself in the reflection. "Oh Jai…I look so pretty! I don't look like me at all, I look like a model!"

"You're built like one. You're five ten and you're all lean, pretty angles. And you do have a figure, even if it's not exaggerated like Lian's. Seriously Irey, you are beautiful, and I'm not just saying that because I'm your brother. You just have to work it. Okay?"

Irey pulled him into a tight hug that he resisted, and she lost half her lipstick kissing his cheek. He snapped at her while he fixed the makeup, but he looked pleased when he left the room.

*******

Irey was all smiles when she walked into the assembly hall of the Watchtower, carrying a pretty serving plate of oatmeal raisin cookies that her mother had resurrected for her (their best guess was that she'd accidentally used two and a quarter cups of flour instead of two and three quarter cups). She greeted a few acquaintances as she made her way to the food tables with the rest of her family, then stopped in her tracks when she heard a familiar purring noise.

"Wow kiddo, that's quite the new look. Uncey Gar approves."

Wally's face contorted at the comment that likely would have seemed harmless to him before that morning's discussion. "So Roy's not here yet, huh?"

Gar cocked his head to the side. "I think I missed a segue somewhere. No, not yet."

"Ah. Let's go wait for him by the teleporters." He handed off the pan of squash he was carrying, grabbed Gar's arm, and yanked him away.

Irey was smirking when she set the cookies on the serving table.

She was sitting at a table with Jai and X'hawn when Lian did finally show up, wearing a wispy earth toned dress that called quite a bit of attention to her shapely legs. She had a wide smile on her face. "Our daddies are talking to Creep Boy."

Irey giggled. "How's it going?"

"I heard the words 'neuter', 'pedophile', and 'sleazebag' before I stopped eavesdropping and left them to it. I think they'll threaten him better when I'm not lurking around."

"Probably," Irey said with a nod. Jai got up and started walking towards the direction Lian had come from. "Hey bro, what are you doing?" Jai turned and smirked at her, then kept going.

Lian shrugged and sat down at the table. "Let the creeper go do his creeping, I guess. How's he doing lately anyway?"

Irey caught her up on her moody and mysterious brother, which didn't take very long as he still wasn't talking to her very much. She knew he had a new crush that had helped him get over the boy that had broken his heart over the summer (Lian had assumed some local college kid had been the source of Jai's romantic woes, and Irey had no plans to correct the misconception), but she had no idea who it was on. In many ways, he appeared to be doing much better, but Irey still didn't like the changes in him.

She shrugged. "I'm not worried about him committing suicide anymore, but I still don't think he's happy."

"That sucks," Lian said, frowning sympathetically.

X'hawn's eyes darted between the two girls. The poor kid looked more than a little lost, meaning this was probably the first he'd heard of Jai's suicide attempts and depression. That was encouraging. The hero community was nothing if not gossipy; Irey had assumed everyone must know about it.

X'hawn got them talking about the new team for a few minutes, until Lian sat back in her chair and glanced around the room with a dramatic pout. "Where the hell is Damian? Stop giggling Irey; you already knew I bought this dress so he could see me in it."

"Was it really eighty bucks?" Irey asked, marveling that a piece of shimmery brown fabric could cost so much money. Granted, it looked fantastic with her warm skin tone, but still.

Lian rolled her eyes. "I put it on Grandpa Ollie's credit card. I don't know why Daddy even cared."

Then Jai slunk back to the table and plopped down between Irey and Lian. Without saying anything, he set up his tablet and hit play.

And the teens spent the next twenty minutes watching the footage Jai had covertly gathered of Wally and Roy intimidating the perv right out of Garfield Logan.

Everyone really was right when they said Red Arrow and the Flash worked well together. On this one point, they were in perfect synch.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy approaches the Titans about membership. Jai does some digging on the potential new teammate, and Dick finds his happy place.

Chapter Twenty Eight (picks up right after Chapter Twenty Six)

 

"Who are you?" Damian all but growled.

"Billy Hong. I just introduced myself a moment ago. I really wish you'd pay attention."

Lian stepped in front of Damian, thinking it for the best if she kept herself positioned between the angry teen and their mysterious guest. "Your name doesn't really tell us an awful lot about you though, hon. How'd you get in around our security system?"

"I'm a magician," Billy said simply.

Damian scowled. "We were given supplies from the Justice League that takes magic into consideration."

Everyone turned to look at Jai, who'd gone pale. "Th-the Thanagarian stuff…" He cleared his throat nervously. "The Thanagarian stuff blocks the magic. I'm still trying to figure out how it works."

"Perhaps we should give Hawkman a call then," Damian said with a light sneer.

Lian frowned. "I think we should give Tech more than one day before we start going over his head. And, y'know, deal with the matter at hand. Billy? You wanna tell us why you're here?"

"To join your team." He smirked. "Again, I've already said that." He leaned his elbows on the conference table and knit his long fingers together.

Lian shrugged, then sat down across from him. Slowly, the rest of the Titans took their seats and turned to face the stranger. "Alrighty. Why do you want to join us?" Lian asked.

"Because you need me."

"We most certainly do no-"

"Shaytun, I think we should hear him out."

"I'm supposed to be the leader here, and I don't think we need to waste our time listening to every stray who turns up on our doorstep. This sets an awful precedent."

Lian rubbed at her eyes around her mask. "Everyone in favor of hearing Billy out say 'aye'." She held up her hand and shouted "Aye!"

As did nearly everyone else seated at the table. The only person who didn't join in was X'hawn, and that's because he was too busy staring fearfully at Damian.

Bart smirked. "You're outvoted Shaytun. Billy, please continue."

"Thanks." He nodded at Bart. "For starters, I'm tactically useful. You guys have assembled yourselves into a pretty good team, but you're a little low on powers. Shaytun, Speedy, and Tech are gifted, but still normal humans with exploitable limitations, and Burst is still learning how to use his powers. You have notable limits that your enemies will exploit."

The room went silent, and one by one the Titans snuck looks at Damian. His expression was stony. Finally, he winced and begrudgingly nodded. "He's not wrong."

"No, I'm not," Billy said, obviously satisfied with Damian's reaction. "In addition…for personal reasons, you'll find me quite useful a few years down the line."

"What happens then?" Lian asked.

"What else?" Billy returned. "A cosmic level crisis."

"Mm, we do seem to go through an awful lot of those, don't we?" she joked. Billy smiled at her, and she fought not to blush.

He was really cute. Not like Damian, who was all power and muscle and brooding good looks. Billy was almost pretty, with his slender frame, his shining brown eyes and his long, silky hair. Plus it was really, really fun to see someone else get under Damian's skin so competently.

"You said for personal reasons. What reasons?" Damian snapped.

Billy reluctantly turned away from Lian and gave his attention to Damian. "My abilities derive from my ability to channel the Zhutanese deity Meshta. This, and the actions of my father, have earned me the enmity of a demon king named Neron. When he makes his next bid for power, I'll be at the center of an incredible battle whether you accept me on your team or not. Meshta has led me to believe that I'm not meant to fight Neron alone, thus why I've come here."

"Who's your father?" Damian asked.

Something pained flickered through Billy's eyes, but it was gone almost as soon as Lian noticed it. He pressed his lips into a tight line, and then finally answered. "His name was James Jesse."

"The Trickster?" Bart yelped. "I remember that guy! Didn't he get shot in the…I'm sorry."

Billy's face was an expressionless mask, betraying no emotion despite his momentary lapse at the first mention of his deceased father. Lian made a mental note to get the full story on the Trickster's death from Irey once they were alone.

Apparently that kind of respect eluded Damian. "I still don't see why we should allow you to join our team based on the provenance of a deceased second rate supervillain."

Billy's eyes narrowed in dislike. "There was nothing second rate about my father, just so you know. And I'm not asking to be let in just because my father was a reformed supercriminal. I'm just giving you some background. Neron takes issue with me because I can channel his primal enemy, and because my father disrupted his bids for power on Earth. Multiple times. Your father was bloody useless during those messes, I might add."

Damian jumped to his feet, face set in anger. Again, Lian dove between them, desperate to put some space between the heated young men. "Whoa! Okay, so I think we should all probably just take a step back, and take some deep breaths. Um…and not punch anyone. That'd be my favorite part, the not punching."

"You're freaking out your teammates, Wayne," Billy said.

And then the room went quiet for a new reason.

Billy closed his eyes in a wince and gave a little nod. "Right, I'm not supposed to know your identities yet. I'm…sorry. That was unprofessional."

"Unprofessional?!" Irey shrieked. "Unprofessional is one thing! That was creepy! How do you know who we are?! Do you know who we all are?!"

Billy turned to look at Irey with a sad smile. "Yes Iris, I know who all of you are. But I promise you right now, my intentions suit yours. I come here as an ally."

"How do you know our names?" Irey asked.

"Meshta told me. He's told me all about you. All of you. I really am here to help."

Lian studied Billy's face, looking for any sign of anything the least bit dubious. His low, quiet voice rang with confidence and sincerity. "I…trust him."

"I don't," Damian said immediately.

"You don't like him though," Irey said with a snort.

"I don't see how that's relevant."

The girls both rolled their eyes.

"We could give Piper a call."

Everyone turned to look at Jai, who seemed to regret speaking once everyone's attention was on him. "Um, it's just…he was friends with the first Trickster, wasn't he? Maybe he can vouch for Billy's claims."

Bart turned back towards Billy. "Tech's right. What do you think Billy? You okay with us looking into your background a little before we make a decision about your place on the team?"

"I still don't think-"

"We need a tank, Shaytun, and magic users are tanks by default," Cassie said, speaking over Damian.

Damian crossed his arms over his chest and let out an indignant huff.

"You're perfectly welcome to investigate my claims," Billy said. He rose to his feet and casually smoothed some wrinkles out of the dark fabric of his dress shirt. "I'd also suggest giving Zatanna and her cousin a call. I have a fair few references in the magical community."

"Alright, sounds good. In the meantime, um…continue keeping our identities secret for us?" Bart asked.

Billy smirked. "Of course. When do you think you'll have made your decision about me?"

"Check back next weekend," Cassie said. She glanced around the room, taking in the scowl on Damian's face, Lian's reddened cheeks, and Irey's slightly dazed smile. "I'm sure we'll have made our minds up by then."

"Alright. I'll see you all in a week." He nodded first at the girls, then at Jai and X'hawn, who were sitting together on the other side of the table, and then he headed for the exit. He gave one more polite nod in Bart and Cassie's direction, then disappeared in a puff of smoke without acknowledging Damian.

Irey let out a nervous giggle. "I like him."

"Me too," Lian said. "The boy's got style."

"And magic users are useful," Jai added.

"Especially if they're healers," X'hawn said with a thoughtful frown.

Damian glared at all of them in turn, clearly resenting their enthusiasm. "We're waiting until next weekend to vote about this stranger."

"I've got something to put up to vote now," Irey said. "I vote we never have Shaytun represent us when we're trying to recruit new members."

A chorus of "Ayes" sounded from around the room. With a sound startlingly similar to a growl, Damian stomped out of the room, muttering darkly under his breath.

*******

The kids spent most of Sunday getting to know each other and doing some basic team building exercises. It wasn't the most encouraging start to an incarnation in a legendary dynasty like the Teen Titans, but Cassie and Bart kept reminding them that it took time to develop a rapport with your teammates. The way Cassie and Bart worked with each other (and with Conner and Tim) couldn't be learned over night.

Lian still felt a bit gloomy when her father picked her up from the airport (Cassie was giving rides in the Titans jet to anyone who needed it). She dragged her feet a little as she walked over to meet him by the Starbucks, where he was waiting with a cup of hot chocolate for her.

"Hey Li. How'd the first…you okay Peanut?"

"Yeah. Just a little discouraged." She took the hot chocolate from him and worked to put a smile on her face. "Thanks Daddy."

They started walking towards the exit, Roy casting glances at her every now and then. "I didn't get any messages from anyone saying there were problems. Everyone's okay, right?"

"Irey got a little banged up in our first fight, but she shook it right off."

"Speedsters are good at that. So no one's hurt?"

"Nope. We just…kinda suck at working with each other."

"Oh." They'd reached the car by that point. Roy unlocked it and Lian threw her bag in the backseat. "I wouldn't worry about that, honey. That'll sort itself out with time."

Lian flopped dramatically into the passenger side and crossed her arms over her chest. "What if it doesn't? And really, there's no reason for us to be as bad at talking to each other as we are. I've been friends with the Wests forever, and X'hawn's really nice even though he's quiet. And Bart and Cassie are like the best peer mentors we could have hoped for. It's just…"

"Damian?"

Lian frowned. "There's something wrong with him. Dad, stop right there." Because she didn't want to hear whatever Roy had to say in response to that. "Something besides his obvious social shortcomings and behavior issues. He's…off center. Something's bothering him, but I didn't get a chance to ask him about it. I just kind of made digs at him all weekend. I wasn't being a very good friend."

"Don't beat yourself up about it. Damian's a tough kid. He'll shake it off."

Lian threw a sidelong look at her father, who was suddenly very invested in the other cars on the road. When they reached a red light, he switched his attention to finding a decent radio station, which also kept him from looking at his daughter.

Lian took out her mp3 player and plugged it in. "C'mon Dad, you know there's no good music in Keystone City."

Roy smirked. "I was just talking about that the other day."

She put on a playlist she'd made for car rides, and, satisfied that the music was taken care of, went back to scrutinizing her dad. He definitely knew something he wasn't telling her. "You really think it'll just take time for us to get better?"

"That's all it took for my group back in the day."

"I thought you guys worked together really well-"

Roy cut her off with a loud laugh. It took him a moment to get control of himself. "I'm sorry, Peanut. That was rude."

"Um…you guys have a pretty epic reputation, y'know, being the first Titans and all. Weren't you a good team?" Lian asked, feeling like one of her most cherished childhood assumptions was about to be put to the test.

"Li, after a year of fighting with us Garth had to quit the team because he started passing out from an anxiety disorder. Being a Teen Titan made him lose his self-confidence, and he was never really that confident to begin with. Donna tried to learn what life was like outside of the Amazons through the filter of four teenage boys, so you can imagine the issues she got from that. Wally was really broody and catty, and Dick was overburdened like you wouldn't believe. We almost fell apart every other meeting. I'm surprised we all lived through our years as Teen Titans."

"Oh."

"I had this conversation with Mia once back when you were in preschool. She used to think we got through everything with effortless ease too. We all work together really well now, but that's because we've known each other so long. We also know how to work together professionally even when we're driving each other crazy, but that takes time to learn too. You guys will get there."

"I hope so," Lian said with a thoughtful frown. "So what did you do while I was away? You weren't bored, were you?"

Roy smirked as he pulled onto their street. "I kept myself busy."

"That's cryptic."

Then he pulled up to the curb next to their house. The driveway was still occupied by a moving van. Lian stared open-mouthed at her father. "You guys didn't!"

"We did."

With an excited squeal, Lian threw her arms around Roy's neck and kissed him. "Oh Daddy, I'm so proud of you! You're finally getting over your issues!"

"Hey, watch your wording," Roy grumbled. "I'm still the dad here."

Lian ignored him and dashed out of the car instead. She tore through the house until she found Dick and Tim, who were both sitting in the kitchen munching on pizza. She tackled Dick from behind and fiercely hugged him. "Hi!"

"Hi…" Dick set down his pizza and patted the arms that were clenched worryingly close to his windpipe. "How'd the first meeting go?"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE FINALLY MOVING IN!"

Tim scratched an imaginary itch on his face which incidentally blocked his amused smile from view.

"What do you mean finally?" Dick asked, looking a touch indignant.

Lian abruptly ended the hug and then marched to stand in front of him. "You guys have been dating on and off since before I was born. I'm turning fifteen in the spring. So yeah, this is a fucking finally moment."

"She's not wrong," Tim said with a wry grin. Lian smiled at him.

"Does your dad let you swear at him like that?"

"Well he doesn't like it…"

Dick frowned. "I'd prefer it if you didn't swear at me. Frankly, I get enough of that from your dad."

"Kay. Hi Tim! How goes it?" She sat down across from them and helped herself to the moving buddy pizza.

"It goes…"

"Lian!" Roy's shout came to them from the front hallway. Lian set her slice of pizza on a paper plate and then went over to see what he wanted. He was holding her backpack and looking a little surly about it. "Notice anything different about the hall?"

"Not really."

"Take a nice, deep breath."

"Kay…oh ew. It smells like pee in here."

Roy scowled. "Yeah, funny, isn't it? Here." He handed her the bag and walked past her towards the kitchen. "You and Arrow Dog have an appointment at the vet after school tomorrow."

"But Daddy-"

"I'm giving you a ride Li," Dick called.

Lian pouted. "You guys suck."

"Language!" Roy yelled after her. He was answered by a slamming door.

Shrugging it off, he went into the kitchen to get his own pizza.

*******

"Knock knock."

"That's a little redundant when you've actually knocked on the door," Jai said without bothering to look up. He was in the process of styling his bangs, which had gotten trickier since he'd added the blue streaks to them. It was hard to angle his hair just right so that the bits of color looked attractive instead of messy.

"Can I come in?" Irey poked her head into the room, but respectfully remained in the hallway.

Jai did a quick mental inventory of what he had lying around and decided he didn't mind having his sister present. "Yeah, c'mon in."

"Thankies."

"So what's up?" Jai asked. He finally finished with his hair and started in on his eyeliner.

Irey frowned. "You're heading out again? Already?" Irey had been milling around the house for hours, but Jai had just gotten back from the Tower.

"Yeah. Piper's picking me up so we can talk about Billy."

"Oh, right. I haven't seen much of Uncle Piper lately. Would you mind if I tagged along too? I mean, it's Titans business and I'm a Titan and…" She trailed off, probably in response to the pout Jai was wearing.

"C'mon Irey, you know Piper's like the only person ever who gives me one on one time. Can't you let me have it?"

"But if you get all the one on one time with Uncle Piper ever then I don't get to see him ever."

"So go take a run with Dad. Or Bart. Or Uncle Barry-"

"Okay, okay. I get your point. So what do you think of Billy?" She plopped down on his bed and rested her hands on her knees. An easy smile formed on her thin lips at the new conversation topic.

Jai decided to just come out and say it. "He's pretty hot."

"I know, right?! Like crazy hot, and the way he shut Damian up…I mean, I like Damian, don't get me wrong, but it's kinda nice to see some of the wind taken out of those sails every now and then. Especially since he was being so mean about you and X'hawn."

"Was he?" Jai asked, a bit surprised. As he'd predicted, Damian had avoided him for the weekend. Jai had been perfectly happy to avoid any awkward conversations himself, and as such he really had no idea what his ex-boyfriend thought of his decision to join the Titans.

"Yeah, he was really rude," Irey said with a frown. "That's why Lian was getting on his ass too. Um…so, about Damian…"

Jai made an irritated noise and pushed away from his desk. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Kay. Um, that's cool that you don't." Even though she was very obviously hurt by it. "I just wanted to check that you were okay. I still haven't told anyone anything."

Jai nodded. "Thanks. I'm…well, it's not fun. But I'm getting by."

"I'm really sorry it didn't work out with you guys."

"I'm not."

Irey started at that. "But you took the breakup so hard."

"I did. And my weeks of involuntary confinement gave me a lot of time to think. I realized that it was beyond stupid and pathetic to obsess over some asshole who obviously never gave a damn about me, even if he's the sexiest pile of angst to ever prowl a rooftop."

Irey smiled weakly. "That's the spirit, I guess."

"Mm. There are much more important things than looks."

"That sounds so deep from the kid who just artfully smudged three different kinds of guy liner around his eyes," Irey teased.

Jai smiled exaggeratedly at her as he shrugged into his coat. "I'm not going to be fooled by someone else's pretty face anymore, but I still plan on making use of my own exceptionally pretty face to the fullest."

"Yeah, well I'm sure Uncle Piper will really appreciate you getting all dolled up for him," Irey said sarcastically. "I guess I'll go work on my homework since you don't want me to come along…"

"Still don't."

"Drat. Okay jerk. See you later." Irey zipped out of the room and Jai went back to examining his reflection. Once he was sure he looked flawless, he headed downstairs to wait for Piper.

*******

Dick was most definitely in his happy place.

He and Roy were on the couch, Dick sitting between his legs with his back against Roy's chest. They were munching on the leftover pizza while Dick's belongings sat in various boxes throughout their house waiting to be unpacked. Lian was sprawled out on the floor in front of them finishing up some homework assignments, and Tim was politely asking her about her classes and giving her some pointers for her studying.

It was such a rare thing for him to be sitting with so many people he cared about (or at least, sitting with so many people he cared about without anything disastrous going on). Dick knew he was smiling like an idiot, but anytime Roy thought no one could see he was doing it too.

The domestic tranquility was interrupted by his and Tim's phones going off at the same time. Tim smirked. "I'm guessing the other Titans got back to Gotham."

Dick didn't really need to check who was texting him, but he confirmed it anyway. "Yep, it's Damian. X'hawn?"

Tim nodded. "He wants some advice on talking to teammates."

"So does Damian," Dick said with a laugh. "'How do I communicate effectively with inferiors without making them feel inferior?' Oh god, this kid…"

"'How do I stand up for myself among the experienced heroes without drawing confrontation?'" Tim read from his phone. He scowled. "Your kid's picking on mine, isn't he?"

"Yep," Lian said without looking up. "I don't think he means to be though."

Roy shot Dick and Tim a warning look. Dick carefully extracted himself from his boyfriend, set his pizza on the table, and went to take the call in the other room. Roy was definitely right; it was not a good idea to banter about the kids with one of them present. Tim exited a moment later and went out on the front porch to talk to X'hawn, so Dick went upstairs to his bedroom.

The phone rang once before Damian picked up. "That meeting was unforgivably taxing on my nerves. I've been burdened with the care and safety of a group of undisciplined, untrained amateurs, and I'm being refused the respect and rank I need to perform my job. This is unacceptable. We need to meet with the mentors and discuss this again, because Allen and Sandsmark are not prepared to do what is necessary-"

"Damian, will you slow down?" Dick interrupted. It was taking a lot of effort on his part to keep the impatience from his tone. Just once, he'd like it if Damian opened a conversation with some kind of conventional pleasantry. "Lian only filled me in about so much of the meeting. She said you guys had a mission, and then a new kid asked to join the group."

"Yes."

"So…where did people stop respecting your authoritay?"

He could hear the glare in Damian's voice. "Was that mockery in your tone or some kind of pop culture reference made to lighten the mood? Either way, I don't find the response appropriate."

"It was the latter, and sorry. You know me, I crack jokes. The more poorly timed the better."

"Ha. Now may we continue?"

"By all means."

Damian recounted the battle with Downpour blow by blow, and Dick did have to sympathize with him on it. It really was frustrating to agree to a fight and then realize your team was outmatched and your intel was flawed. It had happened to Dick more times than he could count over the years, and he always felt the pressure of getting the rest of the team out in one piece.

He was actually relieved to hear that that was Damian's principal concern too. When Damian had first suited up as Robin, back when he'd been a kid, his ego and reputation would have dominated the discussion. The angry, arrogant tone was the same, but the outrage was on behalf of his teammates. He was going to make an excellent leader, once he got past his stunted socialization problems.

If he ever got past his stunted socialization problems…

Before Dick could calm him down with some amusing self-deprecating anecdotes from the first incarnation of the Titans, Damian moved on to how everyone had reacted to Billy Hong's entrance.

"Our Tower was invaded by a suspicious magic user, and no one found that problematic but me. Perhaps it would have been different if he wasn't…wasn't…"

"What?" Dick asked, amused by the impotent rage in Damian's tone. That stuttering anger took him back…made him think of short, surly Damian before his voice had changed.

"He was using his looks to disarm my team. Speedy, Kid Flash, and Tech were all compromised by their sexual attraction, and X'hawn is too weak willed to go against the rest of the team. I believe that if Hong had been female or unattractive everyone else would have found him as quietly sinister as I did."

"Wait a minute, you're saying this kid was flirting with your ex-boyfriend and your crush and you didn't like it?" Dick broke out in a wide smile.

"…that is not what I said."

"But that's what happened."

"Flirting's rather strong for what happened, but he was smiling at them in a provocative manner and speaking disarmingly."

"Damian, did Billy actually do anything you guys need to worry about? It sounded like he was offering to help, but he accidentally stepped on your toes in the process, and then you shut down." And he flirted with your future girlfriend, Dick couldn't help but think.

He waited for Damian to answer. For a long couple of minutes all he heard were angry breaths, and then the line went dead. Dick rolled his eyes, stowed his phone, and went downstairs.

Lian was still on the floor doing homework while Roy goofed off on his laptop. He shut it and plopped it on the table when he saw Dick walk back in. "Hey, how'd it go?"

Dick shook his head. "I teased him a bit too much. I think I'd better make an excursion to Gotham and apologize."

"Now?" Roy asked.

Dick checked the time on his cell. "I can wait until morning, but I don't want to let it go for too long. You remember what happened last time."

"What happened last time?" Lian asked.

Roy and Dick froze for an awkward moment. "Um…"

Lian rolled her eyes. "Fine, never mind. Just keep pretending I'm not here and I'll see if I can put it together by eavesdropping."

"…go to bed," Roy said weakly. Lian stuck her tongue out at him.

Then Tim poked his head into the room. "Hey guys, I gotta take off. X'hawn's having a panic attack over how much he sucks at flying. I'm probably gonna be up half the night with him telling him stories of my first outings as Robin."

"Yeah, I need to dig up a few more 'awful mistakes I made leading a team' stories for Damian too," Dick said with a small smile.

"I can help you out with those," Roy offered. Dick playfully whapped him upside the head.

"You want me to see if Kory can swing by and give him flight lessons?"

"That…wouldn't end well. Cassie and Conner are going to cover it," Tim said with a thoughtful frown.

"Oh. Okay then, as long as you have a plan. Thanks for helping me move."

"No problem." Tim nodded at the room, then went outside to wait for the teleportation back to Gotham. After a moment he stuck his head back in the room. "By the way, it smells like pee out here. You guys might want to check that out. Bye."

Roy stage coughed, as Lian had suddenly become incredibly invested in her history homework. "Li…"

"I cleaned it last time!"

"And you're going to keep cleaning it because you're the reason we have that damn dog."

Grumbling under her breath, she went out to the front hall to clean up after Arrow Dog.

Dick flopped back onto the couch and resumed his cuddle. "This is really nice."

"Yeah, it is." Roy nuzzled his neck and placed an affectionate kiss on his shoulder. "I'm really glad you decided to move in."

"Mm. Me too. So…I've obviously gotta spend some time in Gotham tomorrow helping Damian recover his equilibrium. And, y'know, help him figure out how not to alienate his teammates next Saturday. Between that and taking Lian to the vet, Monday's kind of shot, but on Tuesday do you want to patrol together?"

"Oh, sure. I guess. Where do you wanna patrol? New York? Gotham?"

Dick frowned. He pulled back a little so that he could turn on the couch and face his boyfriend. "I was thinking Keystone or Central. Don't you…ever patrol?"

Roy smirked bitterly. "The Flashes just tell me to stay home if they see me try. When I feel like crime fighting I ask for a teleportation up to the Watchtower and look for a team-up."

Dick frowned. "I know there are a lot of Flashes, but Keystone and Central are sprawling metropolises. There's plenty of ground to cover, even keeping in mind that the speedsters are, well, speedsters."

"Yup. Plus they tend to tangle with other metas and superscientists. I'm good at that stuff too, but when I patrol I usually look for the small scale stuff, like muggers. We have different styles and I could easily fill a niche in their cities. Wally and his family made it pretty clear to me though. They don't want me around, and they don't think their cities need me."

"I think it'd be worth it to challenge them on this, Roy. You're a good hero, and you love doing this kind of work." And it really didn't seem like him to just cave under pressure.

Roy had been complaining about how insular the speedsters were practically since he'd moved to Keystone, but Dick had figured it was probably mostly in his head. Roy was the ex-junkie who'd gotten his supervillain kinda-girlfriend pregnant. He was a hell of a lot more than that too, but that history was enough to make a lot of the hero community judge him harshly. Most of the catty jabs at him rolled off his back, but there were some people capable of getting under his skin.

Wally had always been pretty good at it.

Roy shifted away from Dick, visibly discomfited by the conversation. "I guess we should have talked about this before you moved in with me, huh? Living in Keystone City without superpowers is like asking to go on reserve. Or retirement."

Dick sat up and scrubbed a hand through his hair. "I'm still going to suit up and hit the rooftops. See how it goes."

Roy shrugged. "I won't stop you." He stood up and stretched, then started for the stairs.

Dick followed after him, wearing a wry little smirk. "Neither will the Flashes."

*******

Piper brought Jai back to his house and showed him into the kitchen. There was takeout waiting for them on the table, along with old photographs and a couple of letters. "What's all this?" Jai asked, pointing to the stack of papers sitting apart from the usual kitchen clutter.

"When you mentioned Billy I went through some of James' effects and found everything I could on his son. It's not much. James didn't know about Billy until a year before his death, but they wrote to each other and I have a few pictures."

Jai looked through the pictures first and frowned. He doubted they were dated wrong, but there was clearly something off about them. When they'd met in person, Billy had looked like he was about the same age as Jai (certainly not any older than Damian), but if that were the case then he must have stopped aging at some point. There was a photo of him with his father at an amusement park, and it said he was eleven. James Jesse had been dead far too long for that to add up.

"Can I take these for now? I think the other Titans will want to see them."

"Sure." Piper sat down across from him and started picking at his carton of pad thai.

Jai skimmed over the letters, then put them in a folder with the pictures and shoved them in his bag. "I didn't realize you had the Trickster's old stuff."

"Not all of it. But we worked together for a long time, and we were friends. When he died, I wound up with his papers, and the contents of a few storage lockers the other Trickster didn't rip off."

"How well do you know Billy?"

"Not very well at all," Piper said with a frown. "I met him when James did. Billy was kidnapped by an extremist government when he was eleven, and James asked me to help save him. I didn't see him again until after James' death. I tracked Billy and his mother down so I could…could tell them." He took a shuddering breath and set his fork down. "I'm sorry, Jai. It's not a pleasant recollection."

"It's okay. Um, sorry to bring it up. But I'm supposed to be gathering intel so is it okay if, um, can you tell me about how his dad died? He said something about a demon king."

"Oh, Neron." Piper shook his head. "Neron didn't kill James, Deadshot did. Well, really Desaad did. It's…a bit complicated."

Jai eyed his friend, waiting for him to continue, but Piper kept avoiding eye contact as he poked at his takeout with the fork. Jai left his completely untouched and sat with his hands folded, waiting. "Piper, what happened?" he finally prompted.

Piper sighed. "I…James and I were on the run together. It was back when Bart was still dead, and we'd both been implicated."

Jai vaguely remembered that. The Wests had just gotten back to Earth at the time, and he and Irey were still having problems with their ages accelerating. They hadn't gotten to see Piper for some time thereafter, but he remembered creeping up to his parents' bedroom door, and hearing them argue about their friend and whether they should be looking for him and trying to help him or not. Jai remembered being intrigued by his sister's surprise godfather, who may or may not have helped kill his big cousin, well before getting to see him.

Piper closed his eyes, swallowed, and continued his story. "We were shackled together at one point. We were running for months, and it was terrible. The stress was incredible, and we weren't able to get much sleep or regular meals. We were driving each other crazy. And then…when we'd pushed each other to our limits, he shielded me from Deadshot's gunfire. He saved my life."

Well then he had Jai's eternal thanks.

"So it wasn't Neron?"

Piper shook his head. "Not for lack of trying though. James foiled Neron on a few separate occasions, including when we found out about Billy."

"Dad's talked about Neron a few times. He runs a hell realm and he tried to take over our realm a few times, right?"

Piper nodded. "He's been quiet for a little over a decade now though. I don't think he's considered an active threat."

Jai rolled his eyes. "Because biding their time is so much better. Billy said he's like ancient enemies with Neron."

"I gathered that Neron and Meshta don't get along, but I'm afraid I can't tell you much more than that. I saw Billy summon Meshta to protect James from Neron."

Jai grabbed a pen and scribbled that down on the edge of his folder. "Well that certainly corroborates what Billy was saying. I wonder if that'll be enough to appease Damian."

"About Damian…" Piper gently prodded.

Jai sighed, but he'd expected this. "It's fine. We're not talking to each other, but I think we'll be able to work together okay. No one on the team knows what happened except Irey, and she's keeping it quiet for me. So no one's bringing it up."

"And you're really okay?" Piper asked, exuding gentle concern.

Jai smiled at his friend, and finally started eating some of the thoughtfully purchased takeout. "Absolutely. Believe me Piper, he's having a much harder time seeing me than I am seeing him."

"Well good." Piper reached for his pad thai again. "Let him have all the regrets. I have to admit Jai, I was a little worried about how you'd handle having to work with him, but you look like you're doing fine. You're much stronger than I was when I was your age. I'm very impressed." He smiled at Jai, and Jai ducked his head, feeling his face flush.

He didn't think it was that much of a feat, really. The surly bastard didn't want anything to do with him either.

"What's this?" Jai asked, motioning to a small pile of cheaply made demo CDs on the table. They were almost hidden by Piper's usual clutter.

"Oh, Lian's father loaned those to me. He used to be in a band."

"Ah." Jai flipped one of them over and looked at the group shot. They were trying to look really hard and punk, but the black kid in the back was holding a trumpet. Not to mention Jai was just incapable of seeing Roy Harper as a bad ass. It was almost cute. "Dad never mentioned this. Are they any good?"

"They're…"

Jai grinned. "Terrible?"

"No," Piper said quickly, face coloring. "But they were young, and they were growing into themselves. You can hear a lot of potential in the sound. I think if they'd stayed together for a little while longer they'd have produced some really great music. They definitely had some growing pains to get through though."

"I didn't realize you were friends with Lian's dad. He's kinda crazy," Jai said, thinking about the time Roy had barged into their kitchen and punched his dad in the face (granted, Jai often wanted to punch his father in the face, but he wasn't planning on ever doing it).

"I know he doesn't get along with your father, but I like him well enough. And it doesn't hurt that he's a music geek too. It's been awhile since I've had a friend I could talk about music with. It's rather nice."

Jai inwardly bristled at that. "You have me. You've shown me how to play like almost every instrument you own, and we talk about music all the time."

"I know Jai, but I meant someone my own age. It's a little different. Not that I don't like talking to you. Jai?" Piper looked at him uncertainly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"It's okay," Jai snapped. He winced, and tried to get control of that sudden rush of possessiveness that had flared up. He ran a hand through his hair, and looked up at Piper self-consciously. "Sorry. I guess I don't have a lot of really good friends right now either. You're pretty much it. You and Irey."

Because Lian had ceased being a good friend to him when she'd become his competition (though the flakey girl didn't seem to have noticed), and all his fuck buddy and party friends had abandoned him when he'd been in the hospital (because apparently he was too complicated after that). It really was just his sister and his fake uncle now.

Piper reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "That's fine, Jai. Believe me, I'm grateful for our friendship too. I'd be a very sad, lonely old man without you. But it does sound like this Titans team could be good for you. And…I'd like it if you and Billy became friends."

Jai would like that too, though it had nothing to do with sad recollections of the guy's father. He finally asked Piper the non-Titans related question he had about Billy. "I know you only met the kid like twice…but did he ever ping your gaydar?" Jai asked, hoping he didn't sound too hopeful.

Piper laughed. "He was eleven, Jai, and we were quite busy with other matters. But no, not really."

"Damn," Jai grumbled.

Piper smiled, clearly amused. "He's cute then?"

"Oh yes, very. Irey's got the hots for him too."

"His father was my problematic crush on a straight friend for quite some time. Be careful; if he's anything like James, he won't like you checking him out."

"Sounds like there are a few stories there."

Piper glanced at the clock. "Did you finish your homework before you came over?" he asked. Jai nodded. "Alright, then yes. There are plenty of stories there. The first one starts with a Rogues poker night, some spiked ginger ale, and a lumpy orange loveseat James nicknamed Agnes…"

*******

When Dick got to Gotham on Monday afternoon to talk to Damian, he found the kid in the Cave surrounded by stacks of binders and files, with several more pulled up on the computer. It looked like he was reading through every note Bruce had ever taken on his Justice League and Outsiders team ups, and even Tim's notes on his Young Justice and Titans days.

"How come you didn't keep any records?" Damian asked by way of greeting. He was wearing the Shaytun suit even though it was only twelve thirty.

Dick was wearing jeans, one of Roy's old t-shirts, and one of his leather coats. He leaned against a computer console and rolled his eyes. "I don't make spying on my teammates as big a priority as Bruce and Tim. I had some notes, of course, but not like these." He frowned on the kind of note taking that led to contingency plans on how to exploit your teammates' weaknesses should you ever need to take them out.

Damian turned away from the file he'd been scanning and regarded Dick. "I had noticed that theme running through most of these mission reports. I was hoping to find something on fostering a healthy team dynamic…"

"Well for starters, don't look at any of your dad's records. The team building in the Justice League did not come from him. Tim might have something you could use."

Damian scowled, but he sifted his piles of data according to Dick's advice. "I thought about what you said the other night, and I believe you may have had a point. I dismissed Hong rather quickly. According to what I've read…many heroes have shown up out of the blue offering help in the past."

"Yep."

"I still don't like him though. I feel like he's only pretending to be candid. I'm sure he's hiding something. And…I might be a bit jealous."

Dick started to smile, but dropped it at Damian's glare.

"I said I might. Which is an irrational tendency, given there's nothing about Hong to be jealous of."

"Uh huh." His patronizing tone didn't do anything to lessen Damian's angry stare. "So you're not jealous of the kid with superpowers?"

The glare fell away to be replaced with a look of befuddlement. "Of course not. Why, are you ever jealous of the meta powered heroes?"

Dick shrugged. "I used to be. I mean, only a little bit. It'd be nice not to get banged up as much as we do. And…it'd be cool to fly. But no, for the most part I'm fine. I think I get by well enough without powers."

"I think I excel without powers," Damian returned with a gleam of challenge in his eyes. Dick smiled in response. "If I am jealous of anything, it's more Hong's easy manner. He's good with people and I don't think I ever will be."

"Hey, you've come a long way since you were ten. You'll get the hang of it eventually."

Damian shook his head. "I doubt it. I do think, though, that I'll find a way to cope despite this one inadequacy. I'm thinking I may benefit from delegating some of the responsibility of leading the team to a Titan who has strong social skills."

"Oh. So you just went from not trusting this kid at all to wanting to make him your co-leader?" Dick asked, confused. Damian-logic always threw him until they talked it out.

Damian regarded Dick with impatient confusion and let out a quiet snort. "No, of course not Hong. I'm not even sure I want him for the team. No, I was thinking of making Lian Harper our co-leader."

Needless to say, that started its own immense conversation.

*******

When Dick got back to Keystone he didn't mention anything about co-leading the Titans to Lian. He'd been sworn to secrecy by Damian, and it's not like he wanted to be involved in that anyway. He had a vested interest in remaining on Roy's good side (he'd had a vested interest before, but now that they were living together it was even more important), and he'd decided the best way to do that was to stay out of anything even vaguely related to parenting Lian.

He spent most of Monday unpacking (with a brief and unpleasant break to take Lian and Arrow Dog to the vet), and when Tuesday night rolled around Roy found him sifting through some of the only remaining boxes in the living room. He was looking for his Nightwing gear.

"I'd have thought you'd have unpacked that shit by now," Roy commented.

"I didn't know where to put it," Dick answered. "I've never tried to fight crime from suburbia before. This is weird."

Roy laughed. "Yeah, you can't exactly grapple into the night from our roof."

"Maintaining our secret identities while coming and going from this house is going to be a bitch and a half. Seriously, it's going to be like college all over again." He'd hated crawling down the damn drainpipe to get out of his dorm room at Hudson. Although at that point he'd still had the canary yellow half-cape, so at least the Nightwing costume was more conducive to stealth.

Roy shrugged. "I never bothered figuring out the mechanics of patrolling from here. If you want to take my suggestion, we can suit up together and catch a teleportation into another city. I'll come with you. Seriously, it'd be way more fun."

"Roy, if I'm going to live in Keystone then I want to at least try patrolling Keystone."

"Alright dude, if you're that adamant on having a bad time then go right ahead."

Dick came up behind him and whapped him gently with one of the escrima sticks he'd finally tracked down. "I believe I added a no-dude clause when we started dating again."

Roy rubbed at his head in exaggerated annoyance, even though the light hit hadn't hurt. "Sorry, sorry."

Dick smiled. "I believe that gives me one free pass to make a Speedy joke at your expense."

"The hell it does."

"You're going to kiss me goodbye before I head out, right?"

Roy's face softened. "I'm not mad at you, Dick. Believe me, if you have a good, satisfying patrol, I'll be stoked. I just don't think that's going to happen."

Dick touched the escrima stick to Roy's head and grabbed either end of it with his hands, using it to pull him down into a passionate, open-mouthed kiss. He sucked Roy's tongue into his mouth, and wrested a moan from Roy as he dropped the escrima stick entirely and tangled his fingers through Roy's soft red hair instead.

And Roy being Roy, he used his hand to pull Dick closer by his ass.

Dick broke the kiss and nuzzled against his face. "I really wish you'd come with me," he whispered.

"I'll be waiting for you when you get back," Roy promised. "And I'm on call, if you need any help. That good enough?"

"I guess." Dick kissed him again, then went back to his boxes to find the rest of his Nightwing equipment. He hadn't realized Roy was willing to be on-call as backup.

Nightwing might have to try a bit harder than usual to get into trouble then…


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jai is acting out again, Dick tries to get to the bottom of the issues surrounding Roy patrolling in Keystone, and Billy receives a message from Neron.

Chapter 29

As Dick effortlessly disarmed his second mugger of the night and gallantly returned valuables to a frightened looking couple, he failed to suppress a gnawing irritation with Keystone City. There was plenty of petty crime to be seen, Keystone's low income neighborhoods being almost as seedy as Gotham's, but he was having a hard time finding the right level of danger. None of this beginner's stuff was going to require backup, which meant he would never be able to draw Roy away from his spider solitaire game.

As Dick grappled back to the rooftops he seriously considered getting shot again.

No, Damian might break his vow to Bruce and kill him this time.

He found and averted another mugging, and was trying to think of another way to get Roy to patrol with him (were there any sexual favors he could offer in trade that he hadn't already agreed to do?) when he noticed a speeding armored truck heading towards him. A line of police cars, sirens blaring, were speeding after the truck, so Dick started jumping on the roofs of cars until he was able to get onto the side of the truck.

The Trickster was driving, and the poor delusional crook actually thought he'd be able to shake Nightwing off of his stolen truck. His attempts did make his driving more reckless though, so Dick resolved to stop the vehicle as quickly as possible. He crashed in through the passenger window, avoided some kind of bubble gum gimmick, and knocked the punk out.

Dick pulled the truck over and grappled off again. It looked like half the KCPD had been on Walker's tail, and they could certainly take it from there. From the safe perch of a nearby tenement, Dick was able to read the side of the truck. STAR labs. No wonder the cops had been so jumpy about it.

A red blur tore through the streets and stopped in front of two detectives that were checking over the truck's cargo, ostensibly making sure it was all still there. Wally spent a couple minutes talking to them, and then the metrosexual detective in the ugly tie pointed to where Dick was perched. Wally spotted him and waved and, feeling a bit odd, Dick hesitantly waved back.

Wally ran up the side of the building and stopped in front of him. "Hey dude! Didn't expect to see you here. I figured you'd get ported to Gotham so you could keep patrolling with Robin."

"Shaytun," Dick corrected.

"Shat-on?" Wally asked. "I'm saying that wrong, aren't I?"

"Yeah. Shay. Long a, Fonzie style. But yeah, no, if I'm going to live here then I want to work here." He watched Wally's expression, looking for any sign of disapproval.

And found none. "Well that's awesome! I'm stoked to have the help, and I'm sure everyone else will be too. And thanks for taking Trickster down."

Dick worked to put a smile on his face. "It wasn't that hard."

"Oh, yeah, uh, don't underestimate him. Axel's kind of a fall guy and distraction for the other Rogues. When he wants to put up a fight he can be a real pain in the ass, but that's not usually what he's going for."

Dick frowned. "The truck cargo…?"

"Left with someone else. Morillo's checking with STAR to see what's missing. Whoever wanted Trickster to draw the attention from them will probably try to break him out of jail as a courtesy, so we're going to keep an eye on him at Iron Heights. When we get a lead on where the missing tech actually went, want me to call you?"

"Sure." Dick wondered if now was the time to press it…oh what the hell. "I can give Red Arrow a call too. We can make it a real team-up."

Wally laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Nightwing. We try not to bother Red Arrow if we can help it. Guy's got enough on his plate without us yanking him out for costume work every time something comes up."

Dick scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Wally looked honestly confused, and he took a few steps closer to Dick and lowered his voice before answering. "Well, y'know, he's a single dad. I've got my wife and my whole family to help me look after the kids, but it's just him to look after Lian. They've already gone through kind of a lot. I talked to Barry and Bart, and even Jay on this, and we thought we owed it to Lian to try to keep her dad out of the line of fire. I mean, it's not like he's living in a city where he's needed every single night, y'know?"

"Oh." How fucking typical. Wally's true motivations were actually really thoughtful, but his expression of them had alienated Roy. And because Wally was Dick's best friend, Roy would never believe it when Dick tried to explain Wally's side, or defend his actions.

He'd have to try to fix the miscommunication from Wally's end first. "Well, even if they don't live nearby, Lian's still got family. And I'm living with them now. Roy's a good crime fighter. Don't you think he should be out here with us?"

"Dude, you're talking to a Daddy here. He should be home with his kid. If I didn't have Linda, that's exactly where I'd be."

And then Wally could be almost willfully obtuse about it. Dick decided he might be better off talking to Roy instead.

*******

"Ow! Son of a…" Piper went to suck on his finger, but then noticed that the shock he'd just gotten from the Thanagarian tech on his workbench had left a layer of faint blue powder on his skin. For the umpteenth time that night, he went to the bathroom to disinfect his hands before he continued (the almost religious caution he'd picked up regarding strange gimmicks and technology had originated in his days as a Rogue, and was reinforced several times in that period by the odd gadgets of Sam Scudder and James Jesse in particular). He returned to the bench a few minutes later, finger bandaged, and glanced with distaste at the alien machinery cluttering up his workspace, which normally contained orderly bits of flutes and sonic guns in progress or in need of repair.

It was nearly one in the morning. Despite the fact that Jai was supposed to have met him at seven, when they were going to get dinner and work on the tech upgrades for Titans Tower together, Piper had spent the night working alone. He figured that Jai would call him at some point and let him know why he'd failed to show up, but it had yet to happen.

Jai pulled this sort of thing with his parents often enough, but he was usually more courteous to Piper. Piper was that comfortable pseudo-authority figure that was really more of a confidant. Jai went to him with things he didn't tell his parents, and Piper respected his privacy and tried to guide him. It was a lot of work, it was uncomfortable, and sometimes he felt like he should be reporting more than he was to Wally and Linda.

And this was the thanks he got.

He hadn't realized how late it was though. He'd meant to just tweak a few things while he waited to hear from Jai, but the hours had marched by while he'd been absorbed in the fascinating alien equipment. Piper's body was telling him in no uncertain terms that it was tired, and no amount of coffee would make up for sitting hunched over that workbench for any further amount of time.

He started for his bedroom, and then his phone finally did sound off. Piper considered letting it ring, but that wasn't really an option. He picked up, determined to sound as irritated as he felt no matter what the moody teenager said to him. "Hello?"

"Hey Hartley…um…um…you're not mad at me, are you? 'Cause I need help."

The timid little voice, the loud background music, shouts, and laughter all served to aggravate and concern Piper at the same time. "Where are you? Are you at a party?"

"Y-yeah. Was the first one I…no one's invited me to anythin' since I wazzat the hospidal."

"Are you drunk?" Piper asked, noting the slur in Jai's voice.

"Uh…I dunno. I didn' mean to drink something like that, but now'm having a hard time walking…Can you come and get me? And not tell Mom'n Dad?"

There was no way he was acknowledging the last part of that. He'd have to give it some thought when he was more awake and less cranky. "Where the hell are you?" Piper changed courses and went to get his keys while Jai rattled off the address.

*******

Jai was sitting on the stoop in front of a large house in the suburbs of Central when Piper pulled up in front of him. He had his head in his hands, long black and blue bangs obscuring most of his face. He was only wearing one shoe, and his shirt was inside out and stained. It didn't look like his first post-hospitalization social event had gone very well.

Piper reached over and opened the passenger door. "Get in. Do I need to give your uncle a call and report anything about that party?"

"Uh…I don't think I should narc," Jai mumbled.

Well that was a definite yes. Piper shot Barry a quick text while Jai was fumbling his seat belt on. "You're not seriously considering going out with these kids again after this, are you?"

"S'not Brennan's fault I…I mean, he's a good guy."

Piper threw a sidelong glance at the boy huddled next to him (who had probably arrived clad in a sweatshirt and with a second shoe he appeared to be missing, and without the vomit crusting in his hair), let out a long suffering sigh, and then pulled out onto the street. "Do you mind if I ask why your friends are throwing a massive party on a Thursday night?"

"No school tomorrow for a teacher's conference. Today's like Friday. Which is good. The Titans'r gonna kill my social life."

"I thought you said this was your first party since going into the hospital."

"Well yeah, but I don' want it to be th'last. I mean, m'hoping next one goes better."

"You do realize you were supposed to be at my house working on that Thanagarian stuff with me, right?" Piper pressed.

Jai had the audacity to laugh. "Dude, that was an excuse! Oops. Guess I shoulda told you, huh? Yeah, tha' was jest so Mom an' Dad wouldn' know where I was."

Piper pulled over to the side of the road, severely tempted to throw the impertinent little beast out onto the curb and leave him there to stumble his own way home. 'You love Jai, you love Jai, you love Jai,' he chanted, doing his best to take deep breaths.

"Piper? M'sorry," Jai slurred, and Piper reminded himself that the boy was in no shape to be having any kind of conversation. But oh would they be talking in the morning.

"Am I correct in assuming that your parents think you're sleeping over my house tonight?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Where were you planning on sleeping?" Piper asked, as it was pretty safe to assume Piper's house was not the answer.

"Uh…didn' get that far. Brennan was having people, uh, he collected keys so no one would drive while they were fucked up. I guess I was just gonna crash on the livin' room floor like everyone else."

"And you called me instead because…?"

Jai frowned and looked away. "Didn' feel safe. Wanted to leave."

"Ah." And that was the first reassuring thing Jai had said all night. At least there were still lines that could be crossed, and when they were he would make a responsible call. Still though, it was sad to see that he had to be manhandled and groped before he'd make that call.

God, but Piper could not wait until Jai got out of the nihilistic phase. He was definitely going to have to talk to Wally and Linda though. Keeping Jai's secrets to keep his confidence was one thing, but when he was actually putting himself in unsafe situations Piper had a duty to his friends that superseded his duty to the troubled teen.

"I'm glad you called me, Jai."

"You seem pretty ticked," Jai pointed out.

"We'll talk about that later." His hands had stopped shaking, so Piper pulled back onto the street. "But I am glad you called. Whatever stupid, needlessly reckless situations you get into, I want you to know that I will help you."

"Thanks Piper."

"I would appreciate it if you'd try a little harder to avoid the needlessly reckless situations though."

Jai laughed. "I'll try. Um…you're not gonna tell my parentsabout this…right?"

"We'll talk about that in the morning," Piper said, hoping he sounded stern. Jai clearly didn't see him as any kind of authority figure at all anymore, which was not only annoying as hell but also troubling.

Jai slumped even further in his seat, relief visibly washing over him. "Thanks for not bringing me home like this. Dad'd haff a fit."

They stopped at a red light, and while they were waiting a few police cars passed them, heading towards the party. Piper didn't comment on them and thankfully neither did Jai. Soon enough they got back to Piper's house and he helped Jai stumble his way into the guest room. Piper was still feeling irritated, so rather than toss him some spare pajamas and make sure he got cleaned up before bed, he slammed the door shut and disappeared into his own room.

*******

The next morning, Piper felt eyes on him before he fully woke up. It wasn't just his imagination either; he could hear breathing and a heartbeat. He was careful to keep the blankets around his waist as he sat up, as he'd been having a rather inappropriate dream about a certain one armed musician and didn't want to advertise that to a friend of the man's daughter. Once he was sure of his modesty he turned to face the intruder.

Jai was sitting in Piper's desk chair, seemingly absorbed in his phone. He'd made use of the shower, and was now wearing clean clothes he'd swiped from Piper's dresser.

"Just how long were you watching me sleep?" Piper asked.

Jai shrugged without looking up from his phone. "Not long. I didn't want to wake you up. It looked like you were having a good dream." He glanced up for the barest of moments to offer a mean little smirk, and then turned back to his phone.

Piper felt his face turn red, and he felt more than a little violated besides. "I didn't realize I had to lock my bedroom door when you slept over."

"Oh don't take it like that. I promise I won't tell Lian you were moaning and groaning about her Daddy."

"Jai, go downstairs and wait for me. I, we-we are going to have a talk."

"Jeeze, way to sound like Barry." But Jai jumped up from the chair and did as told.

Piper buried his face in his hands. This was already shaping up to be a nightmare of a morning. Speaking of Barry though, he reached for his phone on his bedside table to check if the elder Flash had texted him back about the party they'd had broken up. And then he couldn't find his phone.

Piper got out of bed and found the jeans he'd been wearing the night before, but his phone wasn't in the pockets either (not that he expected it to be there; he remembered putting it on the bedside table).

He got dressed, ran a brush carelessly through his tangled hair, and then ran downstairs to confront his guest. Jai was seated at the kitchen table, still engrossed in his own phone. Piper's was sitting in the center of the table with his text to Barry displayed.

Jai threw a disgusted look at him. "Way to narc on me, Hartley."

"I didn't tell him you were at the party, if you'll notice, and you shouldn't be spying on me." Piper angrily snatched his phone from the table and stuffed it in his pocket. "Jai, what is going on with you? I want to help you, but you've been making that very difficult lately."

Jai didn't answer. He shrugged his shoulders and kept his eyes on his phone.

Piper pulled a chair up to Jai's and sat down across from him. "Will you at least look at me while we're talking? Where is this coming from? I thought you liked me."

"I do like you, Hartley. But…look." Jai finally put his phone away and fixed a piercing gold-green stare on his fake uncle. "Did you tell me I should join the Titans because you really thought it was a good idea, or did you talk me into it because Mom told you to?"

Piper blinked at him. "I, um, excuse me? I'm not quite sure what that has to do with this conversation."

"Just answer me. Was it because you think that I'm good at this stuff, and you want to mentor me, or was it because of my mom and you feeling like you had to? I heard her ask you to do it."

Piper swallowed around a suddenly dry throat. "I think the Titans will be really good for you-"

"Even though it puts me in the constant company of my ex-boyfriend, whom you thought was psychologically damaging to me?" Jai returned coldly.

"You said you were fine around hi-"

"But you talked me into it without even mentioning Damian. And then as an afterthought, you and Irey were all 'oh, that might be awkward for him'. No one gave a shit beforehand. I am fine, but I think it's weird. I just want to know if we're really friends, or if you're just friends with my parents and you put up with me."

Piper's stomach dropped. He'd thought, after the events of the summer and several one on one visits talking out Jai's self-worth issues, that he wouldn't have to reassure the teen about the nature of their friendship anymore. Piper was friends with Jai's parents, but he was also friends with Jai. Even though emotionally investing himself in the troubled teen was wearing him out beyond words, Piper could never see his honorary nephew as a burden.

"I…of course I'm friends with you. Don't you…aren't you my friend? You don't…Jai, I've been trying everything I can think of to keep you from feeling like I'm reporting on you to your mom and dad. I'm not. I just want you to be safe."

"And yet you narced to Barry."

"I didn't!" Piper exploded. "I just told him I'd heard about a gathering of young people doing illegal things he should look into. If you'll kindly remember how I became such good friends with your father, you'll remember that I network with criminals and have a range of informants. I could plausibly get that information without being the get-away driver for a self-destructive young man who knows better," he snapped. Then he took a deep breath and stood back up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be shouting. I'm going to make coffee."

Jai's eyes were on his own hands, which looked to be itching to take out his phone again. "I already brewed you some. It's on the counter."

And indeed it was, in Piper's favorite mug, with soymilk and two spoonfuls of raw sugar. Piper retrieved the coffee and sat back down next to Jai. He took Jai's hand and squeezed, until eventually they were making eye contact again. "I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't wanna fight with you either," Jai said, and it sounded like the first sincere thing he'd said all morning. "I just don't know how to stop. I wanna trust you, Hartley."

"I want you to trust me too, but the fact remains that I need to be a responsible adult. I should tell your parents about what happened last night."

"But Dad'll freak out. And Mom, and she'll be worse. And now that you got Uncle Barry involved and he was arresting the kids who were there, they'll know exactly what was happening."

"Which was…?" He assumed underage drinking, drugs, and lots of sex, but Piper had to admit that he didn't really know.

"Nothing. It's not a big deal; I just know they'll get on my back about it." Well that was a lie.

Piper was tempted to press him further, but then, he probably wouldn't trust whatever Jai told him anyway. God. When did things get this bad?

Piper took a sip of the coffee. He tried to hold eye contact with Jai, but the teen kept looking away. He finally settled on talking to a downturned head. "Look, Jai, I want you to feel like you can always come to me, that you can tell me anything. But right now that doesn't seem like the responsible thing to do. Can you just give me something to make me feel like I can trust you?"

Jai roughly wiped at his face with the back of his hand. "I'm so sorry, Hartley. I don't know why I'm being such a jerk, but I know that if Mom and Dad find out I was at a drinking party they'll send me back to the hospital. And if they do that…I mean, I'll miss school and Titans meetings and it'll fuck me over. I know Damian doesn't want me on the team. What if he uses the mental health stuff to get me booted?"

Piper hadn't thought of that.

The adults in Jai's life had pretty universally decided that the Teen Titans were the best hope they had of Jai straightening up and flying right. Not only would the team (hopefully) surround him with a good peer group that he could be completely honest with (as they were all hero kids too), but the team could also give him a sense of purpose that his troubled actions demonstrated he lacked. He'd belong to something larger than himself, and have the opportunity to use his incredible talents for good.

Maybe they were hoping for too much though.

Piper set his mug on the table and rubbed blearily at his eyes. "I'll keep quiet for now. But will you please try harder? Stop giving me reasons to want to report on you to your parents, and we can avoid all this."

He still had his head in his hand, and was surprised by feeling a pair of skinny arms slinging themselves around his neck. But Piper returned the hug anyway. "I will try harder, Hartley. I promise. Just don't hate me, okay?"

"There is nothing you can do that could possibly make me hate you," Piper said.

He hoped Jai wouldn't interpret that as a challenge.

*******

Roy was in bed with a few signal devices around him when Dick crawled under the covers beside him. Roy reached his arm out and pulled his boyfriend against him, still mostly asleep but gradually waking from his contact with cool skin and damp hair.

"How was the patrol?" Roy asked groggily. More active than he'd expected, if Dick had showered before getting into bed.

"Fine."

Roy ran his hand up and down Dick's side, and breathed in a strong whiff of soap and shampoo. It was a nice smell, but he preferred even sweat stink as long as it smelled like Dick.

"Just fine? Did you bust anybody?"

"Three muggers, stopped the Trickster from carjacking a truck heading for the nearest branch of STAR labs, and then I teamed up with Wally to stop a mob of ex inmates from murdering the old Iron Heights warden." And he sounded incredibly pissed off about it. "With the STAR labs tech."

Roy was definitely much more alert after hearing all that. "You…teamed up with Wally?"

"Yep."

"He…didn't tell you that the speedsters had it covered? Because it's their city and they know it?"

"Nope."

"Huh."

"Yeah." Dick sat up and hugged his knees. He looked incredibly tense. Roy carefully touched his back. It was clearly a question.

Dick leaned into the touch, and that was the answer. "I'm not mad at you, you idiot. I'm just...I don't even fucking know. I don't know how to fix this."

"Don't worry about it, Dick. It's not your problem." Roy was getting along fine. He didn't particularly like feeling like a second-rate hero instead of a seasoned veteran just because he'd encroached on a different super family's turf, but he'd gotten used to it. Any time he was really itching for the spandex and Kevlar, he just ported up to the Watchtower to work with someone he liked. It wasn't ideal, but it was a system.

Besides, he'd certainly lived through worse. For the level of stability he and Lian were enjoying, he'd take as many mundane nights sitting in as it took.

Dick crawled back over and draped himself over Roy. His eyes were fixed on Roy's, and they looked almost eerie in the darkness, like the pale blue irises were glowing. "I want you to suit up and patrol with me tomorrow night. And if we bump into Wally, or Barry, or Bart, I want you to talk to them about the patrol thing."

Roy recoiled a little at that. "I've tried. I've heard their answers already, and trust me, I'm good."

"I think there's been a miscommunication. Please, just try one more time. You live here, Roy, and you're an amazing crime fighter. Having you stay in night after night wasting time on your computer is irresponsible. I've half a mind to tell Bruce what they're doing."

"Oh yeah, because Bruce never tells anyone to quit suiting up in his city."

Dick narrowed his eyes in challenge. "He tries to frighten away amateurs and people that don't share his ideas and methods. You, on the other hand, don't kill criminals and have almost as much as experience as I do. If he found out the Flashes were trying to keep you from saving lives in Central and Keystone, he'd tell them they were being fucking stupid too."

Roy sincerely doubted that, but it was nice to hear. As far as he could tell, Bruce's opinion of him was about the same as most others in the hero community (or worse, as he'd found Roy deflowering his first little Robin out in the grounds of Wayne Manor back when they were kids. He hadn't exhibited any fondness for the brash archer since).

It was still nice of Dick to lie to him like that though. Roy leaned closer and pulled him back into a cuddle. "So you know, you're pretty much the best boyfriend ever."

"Really?" Dick asked, tone somewhat short as he was still fuming over speedster dickery (or so it appeared to Roy).

"Yeah. Now go to sleep. You just listed off four fights and a team up. I think you've earned a rest."

Dick rested his head on Roy's chest, did as instructed, and snuggled. "I wish everyone saw what I see in you."

"Hey, just so long as you keep deluding yourself into thinking I'm awesome, I'll be fine. G'night, Dick."

"Night."

*******

Roy was sitting on the front porch while Arrow Dog ran around the yard yipping at anything that moved for exercise when he saw Piper walking up the street carrying the Great Frog CDs he'd borrowed. Roy waved at him, and he returned it, though looking a bit distant while he did so.

"Hey dude. You okay?" Roy asked, once Piper had gotten closer.

Piper stepped onto the yard, then jumped back when Arrow Dog started barking at him. And of course, Arrow Dog being Arrow Dog, she followed it up by peeing alarmingly close to his sneakers. "Did you end up taking her to the vet?"

"Yep. Apparently it's behavioral. We've got to train her to stop doing it."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too. Not as sorry as Lian though. Keeping the house from smelling like dog pee is her responsibility. Arrow Dog, get the hell away from him! He's a guest."

Initially the little pest had been smelling Piper's shoes, but then she started jumping up on him while making noises that were somewhere between a bark and a growl.

"If she were really bothering me, I think I could take her out with a well-placed kick," Piper said dismissively. He stepped around the dog and joined Roy on the porch. The dog yipped at him again, and then went back to attacking rustling leaves and twigs.

"I keep thinking that. In fact, I'm pretty sure if I stepped on her in the middle of the night that that'd be the end of her…but then I remember how much I love my daughter and that stops that. So how goes it?" Roy asked.

Piper frowned. "Well enough. How are you?"

"Shitty." And Piper clearly was too, but apparently too polite to open a conversation with whining about his personal life. Roy always had to remind himself that outside of the Arrow family, most people kept a lid on that kind of stuff around their casual friends. "Thanks for bringing the CDs back. I guess Dick wanted to give them a listen too."

"He's never heard them before?"

"I…kinda restricted his access. He wasn't aware of the second CD until about a week ago." Roy grimaced. "It was just as awful as I told you, right?"

"Actually, I think your band had a lot of potential. I mean, these albums weren't spectacular, but a little polish and a bit more practice and you'd have really had something."

Roy regarded him skeptically. "Are you saying that because you don't want to offend me and thus exclude yourself from any future threesomes, or do you really think that? Because seriously, I still sleep with people who tell me I'm a sucky musician. I was hooking up with Grace right before me and Dick got back together, and she's let me know in no uncertain terms how god awful Great Frog was."

Piper's face turned bright red. "I, ah…no, that wasn't a consideration. Does this Grace person know that much about music? Because I'm, um, talking about what you could have been. It doesn't sound like she, er, never mind. Let's talk about something else."

Roy smirked. He was tempted to tell Piper that he'd become Roy's first choice for an addition to their bedroom, if he and Dick were ever in the mood for it again. The less of a stranger Piper became to him, the more Roy was sure that his missing arm wouldn't bother him in the least. After all, Piper hadn't stared (except in blatant lust), and seemed to treat the missing limb the same way Dick did: as a respectable mark of sacrifice and not something to be bothered by. Roy still didn't feel that way himself, but he was a lot closer to being comfortable with his deformity than he had been, and the experience with Piper had helped (even if it had only made him paranoid at first).

The poor guy looked really flustered though, so Roy figured it was best to back off.

They chatted about Great Frog for a few minutes, and laughed when Arrow Dog ran after a squirrel, reached the end of her leash line, and almost choked herself before she had the sense to get off the sidewalk and run back into the yard.

"Is, um, is Dick home?" Piper finally asked. His voice was low and his body language was a little defensive. Something had really shaken the guy, and unless Roy was greatly mistaken he was looking for a confidant.

He kinda wondered why Piper wouldn't just go to Wally, or someone else he was a little closer to, but Roy couldn't say he objected to filling that role. Hell, he'd enjoy the crap out of it if Piper needed a confidant to bitch about Wally to.

"Nah, Dick's taking another day trip to Gotham. He's gotta coach his little sidekick on teamwork before the next meeting tomorrow night. And Lian's at school for another couple hours, at least, so the house is empty."

For some reason, that news seemed to upset Piper even more. "I thought the high school teachers were having a conference today."

"No…school is very much in session. They send notices to the parents when school gets cancelled." Roy held up his phone. "I get texts and everything."

Piper nodded, and chewed on his lip.

Ah. So that's why he wasn't going to Wally. Sighing, Roy stuck his phone back in his pocket and then hit his leg. "Arrow Dog! C'mere-for fuck's sake, you can bark all you want but that squirrel is not going to run over to you and let you eat it! And the damn thing's bigger than you anyway!" Roy finally unhooked the leash from where he'd tied it around a post in the porch railing and tugged it until the dog came running to him.

He shooed the dog into the house, then led Piper into the living room. "Want anything to drink?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Kay. I'll be right back, and then you can spill whatever it is you need to-"

"I-I'm not…"

Roy gave him one of his perfected 'cut the shit' looks. It had almost the same effect as it did on Lian, Dick, and even Grace sometimes. Piper mumbled some kind of assent and sat down on the couch to wait for him.

Roy snagged a soda and then plopped down across from Piper. "So…Jai's causing trouble again?"

Piper smiled sadly. "How did you know?"

"It's gotta be about the kids, and if it weren't about one of the twins you'd be talking to a West right now."

"And Jai's the screwed up one, right?" Piper muttered, looking oddly defensive even though he was clearly about to unload about the little shit.

"No…he's the one you're close to," Roy said. The kid was a fucked up little brat, if what Dick had said about him was true, but that wasn't how Roy had come to his conclusion. And besides that, it wasn't polite to point that kind of stuff out about other peoples' kids.

"I am Irey's godfather…but you're right. I am very close with Jai. Frankly, sometimes I wish I weren't. We've bonded over a certain similar temperament…and I was miserable when I was his age. I wish he were happier."

"The teen years suck," Roy said with a nod. "I'm doing my best to keep my daughter from noticing."

"She does seem quite happy. You're doing a good job with her," Piper said.

Roy smiled. "Thanks. It hasn't been easy."

Piper nodded. "I'm starting to sympathize with my poor parents and everything I put them through."

Roy couldn't suppress a small laugh. As he'd gotten older, he'd started to really appreciate how much he'd stressed Ollie out back in the day, but he'd never have the kind of regret Piper exuded. Ollie had reacted terribly to finding out how screwed up his legal ward was, and he'd unintentionally helped Roy spiral more wildly out of control in his attempts to get him to straighten up. And then he'd given up entirely, run away on a road trip, and smacked Roy around when he caught him shooting up…

Yeah, Roy was never going to feel any pity for Ollie as a surrogate parent.

"So what's up with Jai?" Roy asked.

"He…well, I'm sure you've noticed he confides in me," Piper murmured. Roy nodded. Piper was mentoring the kid, after all, and Roy only lived up the street from the Wests. He saw how often Piper's car passed by with Jai in the passenger seat. "It's just…I want him to keep coming to me and telling me things, because he needs the help. And I know that if I tell Wally and Linda anything he's told me in confidence, that he'll never trust me again."

"It's a fine line," Roy said with a nod. "I put Black Canary in that position a couple times by accident. She never went to Ollie, thank everything sacred, but I think that's only because she knew he couldn't help me anyway. Wally and Linda are actually competent guardians though. What's Jai doing that makes you think you need to rat on him?"

"I'd rather not say." In that he clearly really wanted to vent everything he knew about the kid, but he didn't think it was right.

"I know how to keep secrets, Hartley."

Piper took a slow, steadying breath, and then, in a whisper of a voice, started talking with his head down. "He's skipping classes now instead of entire days, and has figured out a system so that his parents only get notified once a quarter. He's sexually active, and promiscuous, and I'm no longer certain he's taking the precautions he should. I've…I've started hiding condoms in his bag when he comes over to visit, because I'm sure he'll have sex anyway, but I'm not sure he'll stop and procure them himself. I'm trying to encourage him to get a blood test, but he only teases me when I bring it up. He's still depressed, and his mood swings…he gets downright cruel if you try to confront him about some things. Last night he used my house as an alibi to his parents, and then he called me to pick him up because he was too drunk to stumble home himself, and…" Piper stopped, and buried his face in his hands. "I need to tell Wally. But I can't. He won't stop, so what'll it help to lose his trust entirely?"

"Piper, he doesn't trust you. He's using you. You've got to see that." Roy was absolutely appalled by what he'd heard, but he didn't doubt a word of it. It fit perfectly with what Dick had said about Jai and Damian's relationship.

"He does trust me. It's…I don't seem to have his respect anymore though," Piper said. "He…"

Roy leaned forward. "What? What else is he doing?" Roy was sure Piper was going to say drugs, and for a horrible few minutes Roy panicked, thinking of the little boy he'd watched grow up, and how heartbroken Jai's tight-knit family was going to be, and how miserable Lian was going to be when Roy forced her never to hang out with the West twins again because there was no way in hell she was ever going to be around drugs—

And then Piper answered. "Honestly Roy, he's making me really uncomfortable. I think after he broke up with his ex-boyfriend he started fixating on me." Piper visibly shuddered. "I know it sounds ridiculous, and that I'm older than his father, but yesterday I woke up with him in my room, and the way he'd been watching me…"

That may not have been worse than drugs, but it was up there. "That's…definitely a cause for concern."

"You won't tell Wally, right?"

There were few conversations he'd want to have less than that one. "I'll keep quiet, I promise. I don't know, dude…um. At least…having crushes on your mentor isn't unheard of. Dick had a thing for Batman back in the day-"

"To be fair, Roy, that was so obvious the villain communities of other cities knew about it," Piper said with a faint smirk. Roy would have to tease Dick about that later. "You'd have to be blind and incredibly dense to have missed Robin's crush on Batman."

"And Damian had a thing for Dick too."

"I think half the caped community has a thing for Dick."

The guy wasn't wrong. Roy smirked. "Yep. And they can all choke on their envy, because he's mine. But you see my point? Crushes are part of adolescence."

"I know. And I wasn't bothered when I thought it was just a normal crush. I'm a little afraid he might do something to act on his feelings. I'm not sure what I'd do then. If he doesn't understand the impropriety himself, what can I possibly say to convince him of it?"

"No means no?" Roy suggested.

Piper shook his head, as though it had been a legitimate suggestion. "I really miss him, Roy. He used to be my star music pupil, and he was so thoughtful, and sensitive, and kind…I want all that back. Whatever's caused him so much pain, I wish there was something I could do to stop it."

Roy reached across the table and squeezed Piper's hand, completely on impulse. The guy was so visibly emoting pain that Roy's hero wiring kicked in, and he needed to comfort Piper any way possible.

That night he had a talk with Lian. He didn't clue her in about much, but he let her know that he was starting to worry about Jai, and that the kid might be heading for the same kind of troubled path Roy had tread when he was a kid.

"What should I do, Daddy? I mean, I'll let you know if I think he's on drugs or anything we really need to worry about, but I don't think there's much we can do."

"I don't need you to spy on him, honey. I just want you to do something for Jai that almost no one did for me when I was having issues. Just be kind to him, okay?"

"Oh. Well duh."

Roy gave her a hug, and she kissed his cheek, and he left her room satisfied that he didn't have to worry about his own kid…all that much, anyway.

*******

Billy Hong was in the bathroom in his hotel room standing in front of the mirror and brushing out his long dark hair, when he noticed a flash of green light out of the corner of his eye. He tensed with the brush halfway through its stroke, but no attack followed.

And then a transparent, green tinted head poked into the bathroom. "Hey kiddo."

"Hey Dad," Billy greeted, instantly relaxing. This was a friendly visitation then.

He may not have gotten much of a chance to form a relationship with James Jesse in life, but there were perks to being a magic user, and necromancy was among them. Several years ago, when the Pied Piper had turned up on his mother's doorstep and broken the terrible news about James' tragic death, Billy had listened patiently until the well-intentioned, fumbling, and slightly traumatized man disclosed the exact details. Then Billy had spent a few months reading up on methods of contacting the dead, and shortly thereafter he'd conducted his first séance.

He'd been in near-constant communication with James ever since, excepting the years he'd taken off for his intensive meditation. Their bond had grown strong enough that Billy no longer needed to summon James; he often made spectral excursions to the land of the living to check up on his son on his own, and this was one of those occasions.

At the moment James was in the semblance Billy most recognized; how he'd looked when they'd first met. His blond hair was long and swept up into a messy ponytail, and he was clad in a slightly less ridiculous (but still ridiculous) striped costume than the one he'd worn at the time of his death. James hovered around the room, admired the view of New York through the window, then headed back towards the bathroom.

"Glad I caught you before Titans meeting number two. You nervous?"

"Not really," Billy answered truthfully. "The first meeting wasn't ideal, but it didn't go that poorly. Shaytun was the only one who didn't want me to join, and now his teammates have had time to look me up and come up with arguments against him. They'll overrule him, and I'll become a Titan."

"Cool. It'd be nice to see you make some friends your own age."

Billy rolled his eyes. His mother had said that too.

"So what are Flash junior's kids like? I didn't get a chance to meet them before I started pushing daisies."

Billy set the hairbrush down, pulled his hair back into a loose tail, and made his way into the main hotel room. He had a few outfits laid out on his bed. They were all nearly identical; he did his clothes shopping for practicality's sake alone and not for fashion, but there were some slight variations in his dark dress shirts and slacks, and for the first time in his life he had an investment in the image he presented.

"I didn't get a chance to have any kind of extended interaction with them, Dad." Billy picked up a charcoal grey shirt, then set it down and went for a black one instead. "From what I could tell they were a bit nervous. The girl didn't maintain eye contact except when she was calling me out on knowing their secret identities, and she blushes fairly easily. The boy was barely a presence, and when he spoke up he seemed to regret it. He's friends with Piper though."

"Ah. So he must have some redeeming qualities," James said with a smirk. He joined Billy by the bed and looked over his clothes. "Y'know kid, it wouldn't kill you to throw some color into your wardrobe."

"It may have killed you. Blue collared cape?" Billy returned.

James scowled. "I shouldn't have told you that. Hey, even if it had been a black cape, it still would have been a grip for Deadshot. I don't regret my fashion choices. They were fun."

"Seriously? Not even that ponytail?"

"Says the kid with his hair growing down to his ass."

"My ponytail is classy. You'll notice a certain lack of split ends." Billy finally selected a shirt and slacks he was happy with and went into the bathroom to change.

"So where's your mom?" James asked.

"I'm not sure. Running errands, I think. Probably seeing a few apartments. We're going to relocate to New York once we've confirmed my place on the team."

"Good to know. So…not nervous, on top of finding a place to live, and you're positive you want to show up for this meeting dressed like you're going to a funeral. Anything else I should cover with you before you set out for your team up?"

"Are you treating this like it's my first day of school?" Billy asked, amused.

James shrugged guiltily. "I missed the real thing. This is as close as I can get."

"I'm going to be fine, Dad. I'm not nervous at all."

"Well…let me know if the other hero kids pick on you. Seriously, I'll give them such a haunting on your behalf."

Billy laughed. "Thanks. I'd better get going though, or I'll be late. Do I look alright?" He walked back into the main room, did a little turn, and James studied him.

"You look a little goth, but I suppose that's your thing. Wait a minute, you're taking fashion advice from me? You've been giving me hell for the vertical stripes for years. You are nervous."

Billy felt his face grow warm. "I am not. I just…haven't spent a lot of time with kids my own age. This is a little weird for me."

"Uh huh…"

"And…there's this girl on the team," Billy mumbled, sure he was going to regret sharing this with his father, who loved to tease people and only had so many targets now that he was dead. Billy sat down on the bed and let out a sigh. "She's very pretty, and I think she was trying to flirt with me. I don't really know though…I don't think I've ever been flirted with before."

"Well now that you're not living in a monastery anymore get ready for it." James hovered so that he had the appearance of sitting on the bed next to Billy, though of course he would have gone right through it if he tried. "Was it Flash's daughter?"

"Iris?" Billy shook his head. "I suppose she's pretty enough, but I was thinking of Lian Harper. She's beautiful, and very confident." He thought back on the way she'd stepped between him and Damian Wayne, and how she'd handled the tactless leader of their team. "I…wouldn't mind if she liked me."

"Ask her out."

"Dad. I can't ask her out!" Billy spluttered.

"Why not?"

"Because! I-I'm a stranger, and I'm just trying to win everyone's trust, and I don't really know her either…and…" And she'd say no.

"Fine. Get to know her, and then ask her out. It's not like you have competition, right?" James teased, no doubt thinking of the three other boys on the team.

Billy didn't really think Shaytun, Tech, or Burst were rivals for the girl's affections though. Shaytun had the social graces of a howler monkey; even if he did want to romance his teammate (which Billy sincerely doubted a stick in the mud like that would), he was probably incapable. Burst was too timid to try, and Billy was pretty sure Tech had been checking him out.

"Can you just be a normal dad and lie and say I'm handsome, and that all the girls will like me?"

James snorted. "I think someone misled you about the role of fatherhood. That stuff's for your mom. The dad's supposed to tell you not to get the girl pregnant. So don't get her pregnant. And ask her out."

"I knew I shouldn't have told you about this."

"Can I follow you to the Tower? I want to see this girl-"

"Dad, no! You'll make me look crazy in front of the Titans!" Who conveniently for James, wouldn't be able to see him. He'd made Billy look like a raving loon in public more than once.

"What if I promise to behave?"

"You'll break the promise. Because you have the impulse control of a sugared up five year old."

"I have more than that in common with a sugared up five year old. Ah well…I'd better get back to the pit anyway. Don't want anyone to notice I'm missing."

Billy's stomach turned. He hated when James referred to the afterlife like that. "Everything's…okay down there, right?"

James shrugged. "As okay as it ever is. I've got my little posse of friendly spirits to keep me company. Billy…don't worry about me. You've done as much as you can for me. Way more than you should even have bothered for an absentee bum like me."

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know. Um…are you going to be able to come back after the meeting? I mean, I'll tell Mom about it first, but I wouldn't mind talking to you again. I might even be able to talk to one of the twins and get an update on Piper for you."

"I'd like that," James said. "Yeah, I'll swing by. And summon me if you need to. I'm always here for you kiddo, and I've got a lot of free time." He threw one last smile Billy's way before disappearing in a subtly faded green light.

Billy went back into the bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Smooth complexion, even white teeth, healthy dark hair, pleasant light brown eyes…he tried to smile in that charming way his father did, and it lasted barely a second. It had looked ugly and foreign on his features.

"Urgh…a charmer you are not, Hong. Better keep to the serene I've-been-stuck-in-a-monastery-looking-at-cave-walls-for-most-of-my-adolescence look then…at least that's really me."

He closed his eyes, felt his body become enveloped by a warm, cleansing blue light, and when next he opened them he was standing in front of the Titans Tower. Billy took a deep breath, and then strode confidently inside.

*******

Lian got to Titans Tower three hours before the rest of the team. She'd brought supplies to decorate her room, and happily immersed herself in personalizing the space for a good chunk of the morning.

She was arranging books and trinkets on her bookcase, belting out show tunes along with her laptop, when she heard a rapping on her door. Mortified, she shut off the music, hoped the walls were thick enough that whoever it was hadn't heard her singing, and went to open the door.

She was wearing short-shorts, a bat symbol tank top, and fluffy pink slipper socks, and Damian was standing in her doorway in full Shaytun-costume. This was already a bad start.

"H-hey. You're here early too?"

"I wanted to talk to you, but you appear indisposed."

Lian glanced down at herself, blushed, and then looked back up at Damian. "I got hot moving furniture and stuff around. I'm setting up my room. What do you think so far?" She dragged him into the room and then waved her arm around.

She'd rearranged it so that the desk now faced the window and the bed was against the opposite wall. She had posters up, and scented candles lit, and her books and knick knacks were tastefully arranged on all the surfaces. "I still need to get a throw rug, but otherwise I'm happy with it."

Damian did one of his small, almost-smile expressions. "It's certainly cozy. Are you sure I'm not intruding?"

"Not at all. I kinda wanted to talk to you too. I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you last week."

Damian regarded her in some confusion. "You…were?"

"Yeah. I was biting your head off all weekend. I know you have a hard time with social stuff, so it was pretty mean of me to be all pissy with you about how rude you were. You weren't doing it on purpose, and you were trying to look out for X'hawn. I'm sorry I was such a bad friend."

"Lian…I can take it when you're short with me. I accept your corrections. I need them."

Lian chewed her lip. "So…we're good?"

"Yes, always. But I am glad you considered my feelings so thoroughly. That's…gratifying." His expression was hard to read (which was sad; it's not like the boy had a lot of range in his expressions), which made Lian wonder.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked. "Did you wanna schedule another training session or something? Oh! Maybe we could bring in X'hawn and Jai! They both need to learn how to fight."

His face turned stony. "I don't see why Jai would need to learn how to fight. He isn't to leave the Tower."

"Dami, people who aren't supposed to be in the line of fire still get attacked. I mean, case in point." She gave a little wave.

"Right…perhaps…well, I'd still rather not be the one to train Jai. I'm sure his family can see to that themselves. And Drake is going over basic combat training with X'hawn."

"Ah…so…are you ever going to tell me what happened with you and Jai?"

The effect on Damian was immediate. His entire body stiffened, his face set in an expression awfully close to terror from a haughty, recklessly brave and arrogant superhero, and it looked for a second like he considered bolting from the room. "How did-that is…what makes you think I've had problems with Jai?"

"Dami, I'm not dumb. You kinda visibly react whenever the kid's brought up or in the room. Did you guys have a falling out?"

"Yes."

Lian waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. "Fine. I'll just ask him."

"I'd prefer it if you wouldn't. It's intensely private."

"Oh." Well that left her feeling wounded. She'd thought that Damian was closer to her than that. "Um…well, well then…just don't let it get in the way of our team work, okay? Last week it didn't seem like you were being entirely fair to him. I mean, avoiding him on your own time is one thing, y'know?"

Damian nodded. "I'd thought of that. Actually, that's what I wanted to speak with you about." He started pacing around the room, and his tone became even more formal than usual. "As you're aware, I have certain social difficulties. I am unequipped to properly empathize with most people, owing to my unusual upbringing, and this makes me come across as unfeeling and cold. I don't believe, given these shortcomings, that I will be able to properly manage this team by myself."

"Dami, you're going to be a great team leader! You have Cassie and Bart to lean on if you need to-"

"They're to help with training and mentoring, but this is beyond the scope of their duties. Lian, I was hoping that you might be interested in helping me."

Lian frowned. "Um…yeah, of course. You're teaching me how to fight and I'm teaching you-"

"Lian, I want you to be my co-leader."

She gaped at him. "You're…huh?" She was the youngest member of the team, and her chief experience in superheroics involved being a tragic victim. "Really? Me?"

He finally stopped pacing, crossed the room, and took her hand in his. Lian felt her cheeks grow warm. "Yes. I truly believe that you're the only person with the talents to do this for me." Oh, his lenses were down. His eyes looked really intense.

God, he was so pretty…

"Y-yeah…I'll do you-um! Um, do that for you. Help you. Oh geeze."

He'd left her door open when he walked in, and they had the good luck for Cassie to pass by just as their conversation turned awkward. She looked in at them with a quirked eyebrow, and then sped her pace. Lian had no doubt in her mind that Cassie was running off to call her dad. Fucking swell.

Damian didn't seem to notice. "Well then. I'll leave you to get ready for the meeting. Goodbye Lian. See you soon."

"Bye Dami."

He'd been gone for twenty minutes before she realized she'd just agreed to co-lead the Teen Titans. "Oh fuck!"

*******

Billy's second interview with the Teen Titans wasn't going as well as he could have hoped.

He was met at the entrance by Kid Flash, who had exuberantly chatted with him about various topics while she showed him through the Tower to the conference room. She'd been amiable, if a bit spacey, but she had done her best to set him at ease and he'd enjoyed her kindness.

Her teammates on the other hand…

He'd barely taken his seat before Tech threw a pile of papers and photographs on the table. "Care to explain to us why you were eleven seven Crises ago?"

Billy calmly went over what had happened to him at the monastery, but it wasn't easy to maintain his composure with everyone staring at him so suspiciously.

"I've been studying meditation since birth-"

"Is birth really the word you want to use there, Shaytun?" Billy interrupted with mock-innocence.

Damian glared at him. "Since the program to spawn me achieved its goal. Satisfied?"

"Sure."

"At any rate, I've never encountered a case of suspended aging like yours."

Billy nodded. "I've never heard of something like this either. I suspect Meshta's involvement."

The interview progressed from there, with the teens and young adults asking all manner of questions about his background, doing their best to contradict him where they could. Jai was particularly ruthless, no doubt trying to prove himself as an intelligence gatherer. The boy was clearly intimidated by Damian, which was another strike against the damn snob. Jai probably wouldn't feel the need to try to discredit Billy if he were secure in his role on the team.

Billy kept his cool and answered all of their questions, no matter how invasive, as honestly and openly as possible.

After a seeming eternity, the volley of inquiries stopped. "Alright Billy, thanks for being so forthright with us. Do you mind if we talk in private for a few minutes?" Cassie asked.

"That's perfectly fine. I'll wait in the hall." Billy took his leave and paced outside the doorway, trying not to feel nervous. His confidence from the morning was gone.

Wayne's initial dislike was simmering into a proper hatred, and the other teens hadn't come across as terribly friendly this time either (he tried not to be bothered by the fact that Lian had barely smiled at him at all).

They were still conferring when Billy noticed a flash of green light. By the time James materialized in front of him he felt like screaming. "Dad, what are you doing here?!" he snapped. "I told you not to follow me!"

"I'm sorry Bill, but-wait, is it not going well?"

"No, it's not, and I don't think talking to myself is going to make them like me any better. Now what are you doing here?" he demanded in a harsh whisper.

"The pit's in an absolute uproar. You were right about joining the Titans-Neron absolutely does not want you on the team, under any circumstances, and he dispatched minions to distract you. They're going after your mom."


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans see a lot more of death than they'd like. Various reactions follow.

Chapter Thirty

Billy felt his stomach drop. "When did they set out?"

"A couple hours ago. I'm sorry kiddo, I just found out. I got here as quick as I could-"

But Billy wasn't listening anymore. He burst back into the conference room, startling the Titans based on their expressions, and approached Cassie, Bart, and Damian (who'd been having a heated discussion from the looks of it). "I need to leave. It's urgent. I still want to join your team, but I'll have to get back to you about it. I'm sorry for my abrupt departure."

"Hong, what is the meaning of-" Damian started, but Lian cut him off.

"Billy, what's wrong? What happened?"

He looked in her direction, but he couldn't quite focus on her. He couldn't focus on anything. Neron possessed unimaginable power. He'd come after Billy more than once throughout his life, but Meshta had always intervened, and Billy and his mother had emerged safe. This time though, this time he'd left his mother alone. He'd left her vulnerable. If Neron killed her, it would be Billy's fault.

"Billy!" Lian tried again to get his attention, and succeeded in holding it for more than a few scattered seconds.

"I-I'm not sure what's…it's my mother. She's in danger and I've got to help her. Excuse me." He turned on his heel and stalked back into the hall.

James was still there, looking uncharacteristically anxious. "Garth just got me an update. They're on the roof and they're waiting for you."

"They're waiting for me?" Billy repeated, feeling strangely hollow.

James' lips set in a grim line. "Yeah. They're going to throw her from the top of Titans Tower. It's not exactly a subtle message."

"Right. Right…well those unholy assholes only think they're going to throw my mother off the roof." Billy stalked angrily for the nearest maintenance door, and James trailed after him.

"Bill, don't go up there while you're angry! There's a reason your mom got you onto all this hippie dippy meditation crap! It's because you need to keep your center. Neron feeds off of this kind of stuff. He waits for you to get sloppy, to make a mistake. Believe me, I've tangoed with him myself and no one else is half as calculating as this guy! They're waiting for you to make your move. Calm down, take some time, and do it well, okay?" James' pleading was falling on deaf ears. Billy's determined stride never faltered as he headed towards the door.

Then Kid Flash was standing in front of him.

"Hey howdy! Um…wanna maybe clue us in on the sitch with your mom? We can help. We're heroes. Kinda what we do…"

"Iris, thank you for the offer, but I need to go. They already have her."

"Who are they?"

He stepped around Kid Flash and started ascending the stairs for the roof. He could hear the Titans following after him, but he didn't stop to acknowledge them. At least James seemed to have left (the green glow had been distracting).

Billy reached the roof after a seeming eternity and found it crowded with at least two dozen unsavory characters dressed all in black. Their garb was a mix between ninja and fanatical cult; somewhat romanticized but not out of character for followers of Neron.

Mindy was on her knees in the center of the roof, glasses askew, and one of the cultists was holding a dagger against her throat.

Billy narrowed his eyes at the man. "If you slit my mother's throat it will be the last thing you ever do. The moment of death has implications for your after life, so choose carefully."

"To die in the service of my master would be a great honor," the fool returned.

Billy's eyes glowed blue, and the dagger disappeared in a burst of light. The cultist was thrown to the ground and landed about ten feet away from Mindy. She tried to duck away, but two other men grabbed her and held her arms.

"Hong, we are more than willing to let your mother go free," another identically dressed man said. "In the grand scheme of things, this one human woman is quite insignificant. All you have to do is give up your plans. Our master isn't even looking for you to join him anymore."

"Billy!" Mindy shouted. "If you give in to this ridiculousness then I'll disown you as my son!"

Billy shot her a pleading look. The last thing he wanted was to see her hurt. For as long as he could remember, he'd had his mother by his side caring for him. She'd given him the guidance and strength to achieve everything he had. He couldn't imagine life without her.

Not to mention the fact that getting her killed by the pawns of his enemy was a horrendous way to repay all the sacrifices she'd made for him.

"Choose, Hong. Your quest or your mother."

He was on the point of renouncing everything when a yellow and red blur moved through the mass of ninjas, disarmed them, and tossed their weapons over the edge of the roof. "Thosearesomeprettyfreakinlou sychoicesifyouaskmewhichyoud idn'tbutc'mon!Seriously?" Kid Flash stopped in front of Billy, taking one of those stock-poses that superheroes always seemed to strike when they were about to mock their opponents. "Sides, he isn't fighting alone."

"That's your cue, Shaytun," Speedy whispered from somewhere behind him.

"Must I?" Shaytun asked in a long suffering tone of voice.

"Fine, I'll do it. TITANS TOGETHER!" And with Speedy's battle cry, suddenly the Teen Titans were assembled around Billy, fighting the strange men and doing their best to save his mother.

Billy clasped his hands and called on Meshta for strength and power. He took aim at the men holding Mindy, and was able to teleport them to a nearby jail, but when he tried the spell again it failed.

The cultists were chanting in a demonic tongue. Of course. They knew their opponent, and they knew how to counteract his magic.

"Meshta, help me," Billy whispered. He'd been in these kinds of situations before, but the counter magic usually proved futile when Billy channeled his protector directly into his body. Being a magician was one thing, but being the vessel for a God was an entirely different level of power, and he was sure the cultists wouldn't be able to counteract Meshta himself.

But Meshta never came.

Billy fought the men as best he could with mere athleticism, all the while impatiently waiting for Meshta to come to his aid. The other Titans were fighting well; Burst's aim with his energy blasts had already improved significantly since his last battle, Speedy's aim was worthy of the legacy she was carrying on, and Bart Allen, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Shaytun were fighting as admirably as they were reputed.

But they were still out numbered, and the fanatics had no reservations. They only cared about succeeding in their mission; getting out alive and well themselves wasn't a concern.

Mindy broke free from the ring of captors and tried to run to her son. She tripped, and one of them managed to grab her. Billy ran towards them, but he was too late. The cult member picked Mindy up and ran to the edge of the Tower with her. With a fantastic leap, the two of them went sailing over the edge.

Kid Flash saw what was happening before anyone else. She ran down the side of the building and raced after the falling figures. The poor girl wasn't in time to kick up a whirlwind under them, or even catch them.

She was only in time to get splattered with the mortal remains of Miranda Xiomei Hong.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once their objective had been accomplished the cultists all stopped fighting. Any hope of questioning them ended when they all, in unison, bit down on cyanide capsules.

Lian let out a little shriek and jumped away from the man she'd been about to handcuff. "Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my fucking god!"

Burst walked over to Billy and placed a shaking hand on his shoulder. He immediately pulled it back to his body when Billy dropped to his knees, eyes held tightly shut, and began harshly chanting in a strange language.

"B-bart you should…go down to the…just go. Irey," Cassie put forth in a small voice.

"R-right." Bart took off, and a moment later Irey's agonized, traumatic cries reached them from ground level. She was still holding her arms out as though to catch Ms. Hong and her captor.

"Shaytun, get your team inside. I'll handle clean up, but…they don't need to deal with this end of things yet," Cassie ordered.

"Right." And then, much to Lian's surprise, Damian turned to her with a lost look on his face. "I need your help." He motioned towards Billy.

"What do you…oh, right. Yeah." Scenarios like this must have been what he'd had in mind when he asked her to be co-leader. His lack of tact wasn't just a disadvantage in delicate situations like this; it was much, much worse.

Damian escorted X'hawn from the roof and the two went downstairs, ostensibly to meet with Tech and Bart and Irey (when she was ready). Lian took a deep breath, then approached Billy, who was still on his knees, chanting.

Gently, she touched his shoulder. He immediately ceased reciting whatever he was reciting and grabbed her hand. He was breathing quickly and shallowly, like he couldn't tell whether he wanted to hyperventilate, burst into tears, or both simultaneously.

Overcome, Lian wrapped her arms around him and let him sob against her. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. I'm so-so sorry." Her voice caught as she spoke, and she ended up crying with him.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bart and Irey didn't end up joining the rest of the team in the conference room, so for the next hour it was just Damian, X'hawn, and Jai sitting in an uncomfortable silence, all quietly brooding on their personal responsibility in the tragedy. Though they weren't discussing Ms. Hong's death, they all seemed to be in agreement; having an innocent victim die on your property was an inauspicious beginning for a superhero team.

Lian was the first to show up, though she only walked through the conference room on her way to her bedroom. Damian stood, hoping to talk to her, but she ignored him and he let her go. She'd looked pale with worry. Detaining her seemed insensitive.

Perhaps leaving her with Billy had been too much of a burden.

Cassie and Billy joined them shortly thereafter. Billy was outwardly composed, but it was a blatant act; he wasn't meeting anyone's eyes and the defiance that had subtly marked his posture was gone. He joined them at the table, and though his place on the team still hadn't been decided, no one moved to stop him.

Cassie placed a large plastic bag containing effects from the cultists on the table. The contents were mostly easily concealed weapons and talismans, but there were several blood stained photographs in the bag as well. "I know you guys are feeling pretty down right now, but those psychos were carrying a message for us and we have to get on our way pronto. Damian, do you think your team is ready for a mission right now, or should I call some friends? Remember, it's not a reflection against any of you if you need some time, but we do need to decide as quickly as possible."

Damian looked at the gloomy faces around the table. "What do you all think?"

"I'm ready. And I can stand in for my sister if she needs to take a break," Jai said. His eyes flickered to Billy for a moment, then returned to Damian, who nodded.

"I'm…I want to help. I think I need to do something productive right now," X'hawn said.

"Good." Cassie nodded. "You're ready too, Damian?"

Damian nodded. "Hong, you may remain at the Tower as long as you need while we check into this."

"No," Billy said. He stood up. "I'm coming with you. These people murdered my mother to get at me. I want to help you stop them."

For a moment, he and Damian traded stares, sizing each other up and ultimately deciding that the talents of each were worth working together around their mutual dislike. "Alright," Damian said. "I'll go see if Speedy is to join us. Wonder Girl, can you contact the speedsters while you're prepping the jet?"

"Sure thing. C'mon Tech, Burst. With me. Billy, do you have a code name?" Cassie asked.

He shook his head. "I'm just Billy Hong."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim Drake leaned against the brick wall of the back entrance to his and Tam's favorite café and instantly regretted it. Gotham in December wasn't exactly ideal for contact with chilled bricks, and he was racked with shivers for even brief contact with the wall. He took a few steps back, shoved the stack of papers he was carrying under his armpit, and rubbed his hands together.

He'd lured Tam out for a date under the pretense of studying together at the café, mostly for old times' sake. They'd both finally earned their advanced degrees, but Tim was trying to fix up his thesis for publication, and his girlfriend thought they were meeting up so she could look over it for him. And he did have his master's thesis with him.

There just happened to be an engagement ring taped mid-way through. Tim smiled, anticipating a wonderful night with his beautiful, hopefully soon-to-be, fiancée to follow.

He almost lost track of time while entertaining pleasant fantasies of the night to follow (once she found the ring, he was planning to sweep her off for a romantic dinner and a night at the symphony), but eventually he noticed that Tam was uncharacteristically late. Her uncanny ability to keep on schedule despite all the hurdles Bruce carelessly threw at her was the chief trait that made her so well regarded as an employee at Wayne Enterprises, so even being five minutes late wasn't like her.

Tim checked the time on his cell phone ten minutes after the hour, and was worrying enough to call her, when suddenly a body fell from above and landed at his feet. Tim jumped backwards, his phone flying from his hands as his back hit the brick wall.

He'd just managed to press the speed dial for Tam, and to his horror, a familiar ring tone sounded from the corpse in front of him. With shaking hands, Tim flipped the body over and was confronted with his girlfriend's sightless brown eyes, her pretty lips wide in a frozen O of horror.

There was a red arrow sticking in her chest with a note attached. In a grotesque imitation of the note that had been found in Jack Drake's kitchen all those years ago, it read 'Your Fault Again' with the R turned into a Robin symbol.

"No. No. Nononononononononononononono nononononono," Tim repeated until it became a wail. He hugged his knees to his chest and started brokenly sobbing.

The next thing he knew, the slim alleyway was suddenly populated by brightly clad teenagers.

"Oh no! We were too late," Speedy lamented.

Tim was pulled to his feet by Bart, who kept a supportive arm braced around his back. "I'm so sorry, Tim. Cass…"

"We'll take it from here," Cassie assured him. "You don't need to stay on-scene, Tim. We'll update you on our investigation when you're ready, okay?"

Tim barely heard her. He was leaning heavily on Bart, as his shaking limbs seemed to want him to plant on the ground.

Fitting though. On the ground, next to Tam, and all his hopes for sharing his life with someone he loved. She'd have been better off if they'd just stayed friendly acquaintances. The note was right; just like when his father died, this was his fault. Jack Drake and Tamara Fox had only been targeted because of him.

Vaguely, he noticed Speedy lift her eyebrows at Shaytun and nod in Tim's direction. He didn't react, and then she stepped on his foot and elbowed him in the side. "What? What do you want me to do?" Shaytun finally demanded in a harsh whisper.

"Take him back to the manor and call Uncle Dick and Batman. Yeesh. It's not exactly counterintuitive."

"Oh, right." Shaytun approached him. "Drake, it appears that Bat family solidarity is in order. I am to see you to my father's house, where-"

"Damian, I can't deal with you right now. Just…just shut up." Tim wiped at his eyes, trying to blink back his tears because he really did not want to break down in front of the arrogant prick.

A last desperate hope seized him. Maybe it wasn't Tam; maybe it was someone who just looked like Tam, and this was an elaborate ruse for a hostage situation! Tim turned towards Bart, eyes wild. "Is it really her? Maybe it's, it could be-" He was having a hard time communicating the thoughts that were quickly becoming a certainty, because he just could not deal with this again. Not after he'd gone on reserve, addressed his issues, and fixed his life. The costume couldn't ruin everything again.

X'hawn, whom everyone else seemed to have forgotten about, was standing over Tam's cold, broken body with a mournful look on his face. "It's really her. Oh Tim…"

Tim pulled away from Bart and stumbled over to X'hawn. He pulled the slight Tamaranian into an embrace, which was comforting for both of them. Between the actual weather and the crushing grief, Tim was beginning to feel like he'd never be warm again. X'hawn, as always, was warm to the touch, and hugging him was like holding a sympathetic hot water bottle.

"I suppose I'd better take Burst as well. Come with me," Damian ordered. Not because he wanted to listen to Damian, but because he did need to see Bruce and Dick, Tim obliged and followed after him.

Before he left the alleyway, Damian traded one last word with Cassie, demanding to be kept in the loop as they investigated the murders.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Billy had been doing a sweep of the area while his teammates dealt with the victim's boyfriend. He lightly touched down between Tech and Speedy, and informed the group that there were no signs of the young woman's assailant. "Whoever dumped her body here fled directly afterwards, possibly through magical means."

"Lucky for us our first big case involves magic users," Speedy returned sarcastically.

Billy frowned, interpreting it as censure against him. If he hadn't sought the Titans out, these attacks wouldn't be happening. That observation was followed with a minute burst of paranoia; did other superheroes resent the magic users?

Cassie was crouched in front of Tamara's body, examining it. She stopped every now and then to give a small shudder. "You okay, Cass?" Bart finally asked.

"No…the poor girl. She was such a nice person, and Tim's been through so much. It was so nice to see him happy."

"I know," Bart said mournfully.

Cassie gave herself a shake. "Anyway, to business. I think the first thing we need to do is figure out how she died."

"I'd say it's fairly obvious," Irey spoke up. "I mean…" She motioned pointedly towards the arrow sticking out of Tam's chest.

Cassie shook her head. "It was added posthumously, Kid Flash."

"Oh. Well…is it another message then? I mean, there are other ways to pin a note to someone besides using an arrow."

Speedy's face paled. She darted forward and almost shoved Cassie out of the way in her eagerness to look at the arrow. Finally, she scooched backwards and let out a sigh of relief. "It's not one of ours. Whoever the next victim is, it isn't anyone I know."

"Are you absolutely positive, Speedy?" Cassie asked.

Lian scowled defensively. "We make all our arrows by hand. Trust me, I know an Arrow family arrow when I see one. Dad and Mia are the only ones who use red, and this isn't one of theirs."

Bart frowned with sudden epiphany. "We know someone else who used to use red arrows…shit, it's another message!" But before the others could ask him about it, he was gone in a streak of red.

"Bart, waitwhatisitwhat'sgoingon?!" And then Irey was off after him.

Cassie buried her head in her hands and gave a little scream. "And that is why I hate working with speedsters!"

"Wonder Girl, do you know who Bart was talking about?" Jai asked.

Cassie nodded. "Yeah. We used to work with another archer before Mia, but she retired before we formed the Titans team. I can't see why anyone would target Arrowette though. It's been ages since she's worn a costume."

"Is it one of her arrows?" Lian asked.

Cassie knelt next to Tam's body and gave the arrow another quick inspection. "I…I mean, it could be. I was fourteen the last time I saw one of Cissie's superhero arrows. But it certainly couldn't hurt to check in on her. Guys, get to the jet. I'll…I'll make sure the body's taken care of, and I'll see you in a minute."

Lian nodded, and she, Jai, and Billy left the alleyway together.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cissie King-Jones Khoury had fully expected her stint as bridesmaid in Super Boy and Wonder Girl's wedding to be the last occasion on which she'd be confronted with candy colored costumes for quite some time. Unhappily, she was wrong about that.

She may have quit superheroics at the age of sixteen, but she'd never made a complete break with the lifestyle. She was still best friends with Cassie Kent, though they handled most of their correspondence online. She met with Traya Smith once a month and always sent Red Tornado and his wife a card at Christmas. She even talked with Tim, Bart, and Conner once in a blue moon.

And still, after all these years, she had emergency plans for the event of a supervillain attack or Crisis.

So when a dozen ninjas landed on the roof of her quiet New England home just after one in the morning, Cissie was on her feet and clutching a bow before they made it to the second floor deck. She roused her husband and three children, and by the time the ninjas found them in the living room, the Khoury family had established a defensive perimeter with gadgets that Tim had installed for her as a wedding present, and the trespassers were facing down five ace archers with arrows nocked.

When Bart and Irey arrived on scene, they found the Khoury family admirably holding their own against the attackers. By the time Cassie, Lian, Billy, and Jai arrived, the ninjas were mostly subdued.

"Flash, Kid Flash! Search one of them before they all…son of a bitch!" Cassie yelled. The ninjas, noting the imminence of defeat, had once again bit down on cyanide capsules.

Cissie turned to her guests with mock-cheerfulness. "So, a house full of dead ninjas, huh? When we get together for the next Young Justice reunion, can we do it at one of your houses?"

"I'm sorry, Cissie. We had no idea you were even on the radar for grudge attacks anymore," Cassie said.

Cissie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because I actually blame you. C'mere! I've barely seen you since the wedding!" She ran over and gave Cassie a big hug, which she dazedly returned. "How are you and the boy doing anyway? And where is he? Oh, and Tim! I haven't seen him in ages."

"I'm right here, Mommy," one of the little boys said. It was awfully weird to see children so young and so composed with so very many dead ninjas at their feet.

Then again, Lian and Irey had seen weirder things when they'd been younger than Arrowette's kids.

The bodies of the dead ninjas were searched for any hints of future victims, but none were found. Cassie concluded that Cissie had been meant to be the last victim of this particular string of attacks. She offered her friend and her family lodging in a superhero safe house, which Cissie refused.

"Our house is plenty secure. Thanks for the offer though."

Cassie was about to argue, but Bart cut her off. "I think she's got it."

The sight of the children disassembling their bows and packing their gear away inclined Cassie to agree. It was obvious that Cissie had drilled her family on what to do in the event of superhuman weirdness. The Titans packed away the bodies for future study, boarded their jet, and went back to the Tower for a much needed rest.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian returned to Titans Tower late Sunday afternoon. X'hawn had remained in Gotham with Tim, so all news of how the Bat family was getting along had to come from the most stoic and emotionally stunted of their number. According to Damian, Tim was bearing up remarkably well, as was X'hawn, and he expected them to make a full recovery from their grief by the end of the week.

Lian shook her head, then went to her room and texted her dad. According to what Roy had been hearing from Dick, Tim and X'hawn were an absolute wreck and had no plans to return to their apartment in the immediate future. Roy was pretty sure he'd be living without the company of his boyfriend for at least a month. Lian was disappointed, but all things considered she really could afford to spare Dick from the house for a bit. She sent X'hawn another friendly text full of condolences, then went off in search of the other grief-stricken member of her team.

She found Billy out on the grounds. He'd cleared some snow from the dead grass, laid out a yoga mat, and was meditating in a lotus position. Rather than interrupt him, Lian cleaned some snow off of a nearby garden bench and sat with him. She closed her eyes and began a meditation on the breath she'd learned from her uncle Connor.

She lost track of time while they were sitting together, but when she heard Billy shift his weight she slowly opened her eyes. He'd risen to his feet by that point. "You…meditate too?" He looked a little thrown.

"Not as often as I should, but yeah. I like it. And…I didn't want to interrupt you, but I didn't want to leave you alone either."

A slow smile spread over his face. It wasn't quite as serene as the one she'd seen him wear so far, but it wasn't nearly as troubled as his expression had been of late either. "You seem to know how to be there for people."

"I like to think so. I'm a pretty good listener too, y'know. If you need to talk." She scooted over a little, and taking the hint, he joined her on the bench.

"There isn't really much to say. My mother was the last living member of my family that I've ever seen. She's been my constant companion since I was born, and she's the reason I was able to learn how to control my powers. She's the reason I know everything I know. Without her I'm lost."

Lian gave his hand a squeeze. "FYI, you made the team."

"I'm aware. Cassie told me."

"So you're not alone, and you're not lost. I know we're a far cry from your mom, but we'll do our best to help you. I know I will, anyway."

That earned her another of his slow smiles. "I appreciate your concern. Thank you."

"So...where are you going to go?" She hoped she wasn't overstepping her bounds, but if the poor kid really had no family then there was a good chance he was homeless.

"We were between habitations. My things are in a hotel room, but I'm to move them to the Tower. I spoke with Bart and Cassie, and they said it shouldn't be a problem for me to live here."

Lian glanced behind them at the cold, impersonal building, and gave a little shudder. She didn't like to think of any of her friends spending too much time there alone. "So you're going to live at the Tower? Like right away?"

"Yes…"

Lian shook her head. "That doesn't work for me. Christmas is this week and you are so not allowed to spend Christmas alone in Titans Tower."

"Lian, I'm a Buddhist. Christmas has no meaning for me. I've never celebrated it. I promise you, I'll be fine."

She chewed her lip. "Look, you're joining the team, which has more obligations than just superheroic duty. The Teen Titans is supposed to be like surrogate family, which means we need to look out for each other. I absolutely refuse to allow one of my friends to sit alone in a big empty building when he just…when we failed you like that."

"You didn't…" But he didn't finish the thought. "Look, if there's an alternative you have in mind, I wouldn't mind hearing it."

"Oh, that's easy. Just come home with me and spend Christmas with my family."

"Would that be okay?" Billy asked, looking uncertain.

"Course it's okay. I wouldn't have invited you otherwise." She jumped to her feet, grabbed his hands, and pulled him up from the bench. He looked hesitant, but she managed to smile him into submission and he shakily returned it. "Now c'mon inside and warm up while I pack up my things. If nothing else comes up, Cassie's giving us a ride to Coast City in a couple hours."

"Coast City? Why are we going to Coast City? I thought you lived in Keystone."

"We're doing Christmas at my grandpa's this year."

She'd been tugging him towards the Tower, but at that news Billy stopped walking. "Lian…are you sure this is okay? I don't want to intrude on your family's traditions."

Lian laughed. "I promise, it's one hundred percent okay. We're the Arrow family. We're nuts, but we're chill. An extra guest won't bother anyone, I promise."

"Alright then."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A calm Sunday did a lot to relieve the stress of the, by all accounts, absolutely miserable Saturday the Titans had shared. By sunset the speedsters had run home, and when Lian emerged from her room with her bag slung over her shoulder she found Damian sitting at the conference table looking up bus schedules on his phone. He'd already changed into street clothes, and so looked intimidatingly handsome in a classy sort of way, as opposed to the overt eroticism of his skintight costume.

"Hey Dami," she greeted. "Not hitching a ride with us in the jet?"

He shook his head. "That seems a bit extravagant. Gotham's not very far from here."

"No, I guess not. Well…tell Uncle Dick I said Merry Christmas, and that I'm sorry he doesn't get to spend it with me and Daddy at Grandpa's."

"I'll let him know," Damian promised. "He'll likely say something polite in response, though I'm sure his true sentiments will be otherwise."

"Yeah, he's dodging a bullet. Uncle Connor's gonna be pissed. His girlfriend is coming over for her first Arrow Family get together, and I'm guessing he was hoping Daddy and Uncle Dick would deflect Grandpa's attention from hassling them about making more grandbabies."

"It still may be more pleasant than the Christmas dinner we'll be sharing."

Lian set her bag down and plopped into a seat next to him. "So you noticed that Tim and X'hawn are gonna need more than a couple days to grieve over Tam Fox?"

"I hadn't put it into the proper perspective. I suppose to them, losing Miss Fox feels something like how I felt when you died."

Lian wasn't quite sure what she'd expected him to say, but that had not been it. There really wasn't much to say to a comment like that. She sat in an awkward silence for a moment, wondering what a polite response to 'your death traumatized me, but it's helped me learn empathy' might be. On the plus side, Damian didn't seem to find the silence awkward at all.

When he finally broke it, he looked to be completely at ease. "So…how does your family celebrate Christmas?"

"Same as everyone else, I suppose. We trade presents and then glut ourselves on obscene amounts of food. And everyone tries not to feel like hypocrites for observing a Christian holiday when none of us are Christian."

Damian frowned. "Did your uncle…come to an understanding about his faith?"

Lian giggled, but schooled her expression into something polite when she noticed Damian wince. "Yeah, he's fine. Uncle Connor's girlfriend is Buddhist too, and she hooked him up with all these meditation groups and dharma talks and whatever. He's been doing a lot of study, and he seems really fulfilled. He said that principles he didn't get before are a lot more clear now."

"Go figure. Are the rest of you Buddhist as well?"

Lian shook her head. "Grandpa Ollie says he's an agnostic, but he practices a lot of the meditation stuff anyway. And me and Daddy are Navajo."

"Oh. Most of my family is nominally Christian. As such, our observance of the holiday is rather secular, though I believe Pennyworth attends a midnight mass. Dick is the most enthusiastic of the household. It's actually something of a shame you don't get to take him off our hands this year; I get the feeling he'd find a more receptive audience in you and your family for his feel good movies and other attempts at holiday cheer."

Lian pouted at that. "He's a Christmas geek too? Oh boo. Daddy teases me for always getting so into it. Y'know, picking out just the right tree and coordinating all the ornaments and baking everything myself from scratch."

"That does seem like rather a lot of trouble," Damian observed.

She shrugged. "Christmas is pretty much the only day of the year when I can guarantee my dad will be home with me, and that he'll be safe. You must have noticed that supervillains seem to celebrate the holiday too. If anyone pulls anything, it's usually just a silly caper, and no one calls Red Arrow for those."

Damian considered. "We always patrol…but I suppose it is rather slow. Come to think of it, yes, there is a certain safety in Christmas. Though considering what happened with Ms. Hong and Miss Fox, perhaps not for the season as a whole."

"Oh my god, yeah. Poor Billy."

"He seems to be handling himself well. Have you been speaking to him?"

Lian nodded. "The poor guy…he didn't have anyone else but his mom. And they were always travelling so he could learn about his powers, so he hasn't set down roots anywhere. I just can't even imagine…I mean, at least Tim and X'hawn have your whole family and lots of friends beside." She had to stop for a moment, as her throat constricted with trying not to cry. "Anyway…I didn't want him to spend Christmas alone in the Tower, so I invited him to come to Coast City with me."

"You what?" Damian snapped. He set his phone on the table and swiveled his chair towards her, giving her his full attention. She was surprised to see anger, real, true anger on his face. She'd provoked impatience, annoyance, and small fits of temper from those expressive amber-brown eyes before, but never anything like this.

It was disconcerting, to say the least.

"Lian, you cannot take that strange boy to your home for a holiday celebration. As the leader of this team, I absolutely forbid it!"

She sat back in her chair, and returned his angry stare with one of her own. "Listen sweetheart, you made me co-leader of this team and you told me to watch out for my teammates-"

"Hong has barely made the team, and only then because of pity. He's an unknown quantity! He's still essentially a stranger to us and I don't trust him. Therefore, you are not to take him home with you!"

Lian jumped out of her chair. "That's not your call, Damian. Billy's my friend, he's hurting, and I'm going to do everything I can to help him."

Damian stood as well, and glowered down at her. "He's not your friend! You barely know him, and besides that I'm your friend. I care about you enough that I resurrected you. Doesn't that give me some measure of concern in your business?"

"Excuse me?!" Lian shrieked. "Are you honestly saying that because you resurrected me, you get to control my life? Are you seriously acting like you own me right now?"

"The wording's excessive, but the sentiment is just. You wouldn't be here were it not for my actions."

She gaped at him in stunned abhorrence, then spit in his face and ran from the room.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian still looked a bit shell shocked when he arrived at Wayne manor some hours later. He walked through the large house until he found Dick and Tim, where they were absorbed in a private and intense looking conversation. In fact, unless he was much mistaken, Drake appeared to be concealing tears.

Damian calmly walked up to them and tapped Dick's shoulder. "When you're done here, I could use a few minutes of your time." He then exited the room and made his way to the Cave to conduct a vigorous workout while he waited for Dick.

Dick arrived after about twenty minutes; enough time for Damian to have worked up a sweat significant enough to justify shedding some clothes, and for him to have punched his knuckles raw.

"Lian?" Dick asked.

"She's having a stranger to her grandfather's house for a family dinner. Apparently she does that with every socially aloof and vaguely threatening teenage male of her acquaintance."

Dick handed Damian a water bottle, then sat down on a nearby bench. "This stranger wouldn't happen to be the kid whose mother was just murdered, would it?" Damian didn't answer, but he really didn't need to. Dick had spent the last day consoling X'hawn as well; he must have heard all about Hong and his mother. "You know Lian's a compassionate girl. She's probably just trying to help."

"I know I should have sympathy for Hong. He's just become an orphan, and if you're particularly attached to your parents I understand that that's traumatic."

"If you're attached?" Dick repeated. "Is there something I need to tell Bruce?"

"This isn't the time for your pathetic attempts at lightness, Grayson. You know I hold my father in high esteem. But if I were to lose my mother, I can't say I'd be all that bothered. At any rate, I still don't like Hong."

"Because you think Lian does?"

Damian scowled. "It's more than that. But apparently my feelings for her discredit my concerns over my team's interloper. No one asked him to join, and since we've been stuck with him we've been facing his assailants and cleaning up his messes."

"Well…you must have noticed by now that these things happen when you get a group of heroes together. I mean, I know this weekend was really rough for you guys…but honestly, it's not out of character."

"But we were just starting out!" Damian fumed. "More than half the team is comprised of complete amateurs. I was supposed to have time to train them to keep things like this from happening."

"Damian, look at the other group of crime fighters you're a part of."

"I'm not on any other teams-"

"We're not an official team, but I think the Bat family still counts. Would you say any of us are under trained?" Dick asked pointedly.

"Dra-"

"Be fair. Tim's not under trained, you just don't like him. Now c'mon, are any of us amateurs or at all incapable as crime fighters?" Dick asked. Damian begrudgingly shook his head. "And we still lose. A lot. People die on our watch, even when we're doing everything we can to help. You won't ever be able to train up your team enough to keep the tragedy away entirely, and no one expects you to."

"I expect better of myself than most people."

Dick let out a sigh, and muttered under his breath. Damian didn't catch most of it, but he thought he heard the words 'bat-teen.'

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trip from Titans Tower to Coast City was incredibly uncomfortable for Billy. Once Cassie dropped Jai in Keystone City, it was only him and Lian sitting in the passenger area, and he was at a loss as to how to make conversation with a pretty young girl. He'd never had to before.

His phantom father, who was hovering around Lian loudly talking about how cute she was, knowing that only Billy could hear him, wasn't helping. Lian seemed to be taking his slightly dazed look as a side effect of grief, so there was that, at least.

They disembarked the jet and entered the airport, and Billy found himself overcome with nerves. He wanted to make a good impression on Lian's family, whom he'd heard were all veteran superheroes. Billy figured they were probably already predisposed not to like him, as his only connection to the community was through his reformed supervillain father, and he'd already had Shaytun take a shot at him over the Trickster.

He was still lost in anxious thoughts when he noticed that he'd been abandoned. "Lian?"

"She went running as soon as you guys got out of the terminal. Look, I know this is a bad time, but I gotta get back to the pit. Are you gonna be okay? Do you want me to wait until someone finds you?" James asked.

"No, you can take off," Billy muttered.

"I'll come by again later," James promised before being enveloped in green light.

Billy glanced around the busy airport, and was just able to see his friend pounce on an adult male over by the Starbucks. The one armed man had been holding a cup, and when Lian jumped on him with a strangle-hug he spilled the contents all over himself.

Based on the string of expletives, the contents had still been very hot.

A young blond man went to the counter and returned a moment later with napkins. By that time, Billy had managed to catch up to them.

Lian's face was red, but it looked to be from attempting to hold back laughter rather than mortification at scalding another human being. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I thought you expected my hugs by now."

'Daddy?' Billy thought with some surprise. They didn't look alike at all. Lian's father was a tall, muscular, pale red head. The only physical feature they had at all in common was their eyes, and even then, Lian's were softer with femininity (the course of his stay at Oliver Queen's house would eventually reveal further similarities between the two Harpers to Billy, and he'd note similar temperaments and a certain emotionally explosive tendency).

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to buy you another mocha after that," the girl's father snapped. He accepted another napkin from their acquaintance and wiped at his hopelessly stained shirt.

Lian pouted, and threw a regretful look back at the coffee shop. "But Daddy, it's not like I meant to spill the mocha. Can I please have another one?"

"Fucking no! I'm wearing the first one because of you."

Billy hung awkwardly to the side while they argued and whined with each other, and drew the notice of their other acquaintance. The quiet young man cleared his throat, threw a pointed look Billy's way, and Lian finally thought to introduce him to her family members.

"Oops. Um, Daddy, Uncle Connor, I want you to meet my friend Billy. I invited him to spend Christmas with us."

Mr. Harper looked away from the spreading stain in his shirt and up at Billy, but his expression of annoyance didn't shift in the slightest. "You brought a strange boy home to spend Christmas with us?"

"Uh huh…"

"No. Absolutely fucking not. Tell him to go home."

Billy's face fell, even though it was the reaction he'd expected. He couldn't imagine anyone would be happy to have a stranger intruding on their family gathering.

Lian grabbed her father's arm and yanked him a few feet away. She really needn't have bothered, as Billy and Connor were perfectly able to overhear the essentials of the conversation.

Billy was surprised to hear that Mr. Harper's objections weren't based on Billy being a stranger, just on his gender. Interesting.

"He's a protective father," Connor said, looking a touch mortified when Mr. Harper shrieked something about Billy being a possible sexual predator.

"It would seem so."

Lian hissed a quick explanation at her father that they couldn't hear. It must have clued him in on Billy's recent circumstances. They spoke more quietly after that, and after a few minutes rejoined Billy and Connor.

"Alright, you can come with us. But I don't know how much an Arrow family Christmas is going to cheer you up, kid."

As he had with Damian Wayne, Billy resolved not to be intimidated by Lian's father. He politely shook the man's hand, and calmly followed them out to the parking lot.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lian and Irey bond with boys they both might do better to keep at a distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for going so long without an update. I've been incredibly blocked on this fic, and since the Les Mis was flowing so much more easily I just kind of went with that. I'm trying to get back into the swing of updating again though, so hopefully they'll start coming a little more easily now. This chapter had actually been available for some time on ff.net. I don't know why I never got around to cross-posting it here. Chapter 32 to follow directly.
> 
> Again, sorry for the long delay and much appreciation to anyone still reading :)

Irey woke well before the rest of her family on Christmas morning, something she’d conditioned herself to do as a little girl. Rather than run around the house waking everyone up for presents, she sat in bed and watched the snow flurries outside. The tree next to her window looked beautiful with its light dusting of white.

Since her family was usually disgruntled about being roused before six am (even on Christmas!) she decided to take a quick run through the snow. Out of habit, she generated an Impulse costume with the Speed Force, caught her reflection in the mirror hanging on her bedroom door, and changed it to the Kid Flash costume. For a long minute Irey critically studied her reflection.

There was no escaping it. With her short hair and her face partially obscured by the half-cowl, she looked like her father as a teenager. She was tall and gangly, and any softness or femininity of feature was hidden under glaringly yellow fabric. She thought of the cute little purple skirt Lian wore, and the short little jersey Wonder Girl wore with her low slung red pants, and wished there were more girls in her family’s tradition so that she could wear a feminine costume. She was _never_ going to attract a Lightning Rod with crazy orange clown hair and a masculine costume.

With that on her mind, Irey raced out into the streets of Keystone to admire the snowscapes. Her thoughts kept returning to love and romance, even though she’d rather have mused about anything else. Unfortunately, when she ran she had to be mindful of her speed, as she hadn’t found her Lightning Rod, and that made her brood about her seemingly perpetual state of being single even more.

Irey’s connection to the speed force was unusually powerful. Mr. Garrick assumed it was because her connection had initially been divided between her and Jai, up until Professor Zoom had attacked them as children. Whatever the reason, she went from fast to Terminal Velocity, the point at which speedsters lost physical form and were absorbed into the Speed Force, more easily than any of the others. Everyone else avoided that rapturous death by finding their Lightning Rod: that one person they loved so deeply and completely that they could still find them even when the speedster started losing their own identity to the thunder and lightning.

Wally had Linda. Barry had Iris. Jay had Joan. Bart had Rose.

And Irey sucked at dating. She couldn’t flirt without making an idiot of herself. Hell, she couldn’t even make friends without Lian or Jai’s help. The pressure, of course, didn’t help. Someday her life might depend upon her ability to attract a partner, and with that on her mind it was hard to loosen up and talk to a boy.

Really, it was hard not to be jealous of her best friend under such circumstances. Lian had effortlessly secured Damian’s attention when she was in kindergarten (not that Irey was particularly jealous on _that_ front; Damian wasn’t her type, and besides that, he’d dated her brother and that would just be gross), she already had Billy’s interest, and even though she was only a freshman at Keystone High, she’d been asked out by half the kids in Irey’s grade. Angie, a friendly lesbian whose locker was next to Irey’s, kept asking her if she was _sure_ her pretty little friend was straight.

If Lian ever developed superspeed she’d have her pick of potential Lightning Rods. So far all Irey had managed were a handful of unrealistic unrequited crushes and confused feelings for a budding supervillain.

She was running through the park by the river when she caught a spot of orange out of the corner of her eye. Irey doubled back, and saw the villain she’d been thinking of sitting on a garden bench under a clump of trees.

Josh Jackam was severely under dressed for the weather. He was wearing a ripped and stained orange jumpsuit, and his chin-length hair was a nest of tangles around his handsome, but worryingly gaunt face. He didn’t look uncomfortable though. As Irey got closer, she saw the occasional erratic spark of lightning flicker from his eyes, and she noticed that the snow melted before it touched him. He was using his weather manipulation to make the bench around him feel like it was facing a warm spring sun.

“Hello, Impulse,” Josh greeted.

“H-hi,” she mumbled. “Um…it’s Kid Flash now.”

“I liked Impulse better.”

“Josh, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be in a youth facility.” She hoped she sounded like a stern superhero type. Based on Josh’s distant grin she didn’t pull it off.

“Are you going to drag me back?”

Irey chewed her lip. She definitely _should_ …but she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been aching to talk to the kid since he’d had his uncharacteristic freak out in the pedestrian mall. Putting innocents in danger like that just wasn’t him.

“Josh, what happened? Why’d you go berserk and zap me? That really hurt, y’know.” The effects had been temporary thanks to speed healing, but it had still sucked.

Josh shrugged. “I was having a bad day. You probably wouldn’t behave rationally if you found out the guys you trusted murdered your father. I thought they wanted to help me, that they were going to be like a replacement family. But the Rogues were only ever interested in my powers. Even Mick.”

“Heatwave’s usually pretty nice to me when I have to fight him,” Irey said, sure she sounded like an idiot. “But um…yeah, the Rogues aren’t a great support system. That’s why all the decent ones break away and reform. Like my Uncle Piper, and the first Trickster. It might have been neat to be part of it when those guys were still Rogues though. Back then things were a lot less dire and a lot more silly.”

Josh smiled. “Back when they held conventions and threw parties when one of them got out of jail. Back when my dad was still alive.” His smile faded, and his eyes turned downcast.

Irey’s mom had been the one to find Mark Mardon’s body. It happened a little less than a year before Josh returned from the hell realm. Linda had been poking around an abandoned warehouse, trying to sniff out a lead for a case Bart was working on, and she’d tripped over the Weather Wizard’s corpse. It hadn’t been entirely dissimilar from when she’d found Golden Glider after Chillblaine had turned on her, and at Iris’ insistence Linda spent some time with a therapist talking over her gruesome discoveries.

“I’m sorry, Josh.”

“You really are, aren’t you? We’re supposed to be enemies, you know. You’re not going to last very long as a superhero with all that compassion.”

“Sure I will,” Irey returned, finally confident about something in the conversation. She wanted to be just like Bart when it was her turn to run in red, and he was the most compassionate person she’d ever met. “I’ve already been doing this longer than you’ve been in costume, haven’t I?”

“In costume? Don’t you mean since I’ve been a supervillain?” Josh asked with a harsh smirk. A flicker of lightning passed through his eyes.

“C’mon Josh, you’re not really a bad guy,” Irey insisted. She sat down next to him on the bench, but her confidence gave out and she wound up staring at her booted feet while she kicked them back and forth over the dry dirt at her feet.

“I lost my temper and let a hurricane loose in a public area. I blasted you in the chest at close range, and then when I was locked up for everyone’s safety, I broke out at the first available opportunity. Sweetheart, I’m a lousy scumbag.”

Still staring at her swinging feet, Irey mumbled about how she didn’t think that was true. Then Josh tilted her face up and tenderly kissed her.

It was the third time he’d done it, and she still didn’t know if she should push him away. But she liked being kissed by him. She liked the way he brushed her hair back, and how nice and warm his lips were, and how he always made a little humming sound just before he broke the kiss.

“You’re such a good person, Impulse,” Josh said, a touch of wonder in his tone. “Really, you’re lucky you fight the Rogues. Other supervillains would take advantage of how good you are.”

Irey frowned at him. “The Zooms weren’t exactly a picnic you know. And Abra Kadabra’s nuts, and clearly you’ve never met Gorilla Grodd.”

Josh laughed. “Well, you’re lucky to have Snart and the others for _regular_ opponents. I’m glad that at least most of the time the villains you fight don’t want you dead.”

“Uncle B-um…one of the Flashes didn’t believe Uncle Piper at first when he said that the Rogues didn’t want to kill us. Because, y’know, they always made ‘death traps’ and stuff.” Irey felt her cheeks get warm, and figured her face was bright red. She really should get going. Her family was probably ready for presents by now, and besides, talking to Josh was getting risky. They were so familiar with each other that it was tempting to tell him more than she should.

To his credit, he didn’t press the “Uncle B-” slip-up. They laughed a little about how seriously the elder Flash had taken some of the Rogues’ more ridiculous schemes (more than half of their plots in the old days had been pranks on the resident superhero), Josh kissed her a few more times while Irey tried to remind herself that he was an inappropriate crush, and ultimately she left him sitting on the bench without telling anyone she’d found the recent escapee.

She didn’t feel like much of a superhero when she got home.

* * *

To Lian’s immense relief, the Arrow Family kept most of their crazy in during Christmas. Billy noticed some of their almost-charming quirks and eccentricities, but he wasn’t made uncomfortable the way Damian had been during his visit.

Roy tried to keep the façade of an intimidating and overprotective father going. He glared at Billy for so much as looking at Lian and told anecdotes designed to make him sound terrifying. He was definitely overdoing it, and Lian started to get embarrassed on his behalf. Then one morning Lian came down for breakfast and found Roy and Billy in deep conversation. To her surprise, they both burst into laughter, something she’d yet to see the stoic teen do, and her father clapped a friendly hand on Billy’s shoulder. Lian was overjoyed to see them bonding…until she realized they were bonding over how much they disliked Damian.

All in all, Billy was making an excellent impression on her family. He was polite, well-spoken, cultured, and shared a lot of common interests with the liberal-leaning archers. Lian watched him engage Connor in an impromptu dharma talk after Christmas dinner and, though tempted to join in, instead reflected on how different Billy was from Damian.

There were some similarities, sure. They both had forceful personalities. They were both intimidatingly intelligent. They were stubborn, proud, and _incredibly_ good looking.

But where Billy was smiling charmingly and swapping anecdotes with her uncle, Damian would have been lecturing him on whatever mistakes still lingered in his understanding of Buddhism. Damian was harsh, grating, and sometimes making the effort to understand where he was coming from could get exhausting. Billy had had an unusual upbringing as well, but it manifested so differently.

And this was his reaction to grief, on top of it all.

Roy sat down next to Lian, startling her slightly, and handed her a plate of dessert. “Everything alright, Peanut? You looked like you were in another world there.” Lian blushed and he smiled knowingly. “Would it help or hurt if I told you I liked this one?”

“Neither. Now stop prying. I definitely don’t want to talk about boys with my _dad_. Ick.”

“Alright, then pretend I was talking about the pies. By the way, avoid the green tinged custardy looking one out there. Ollie tried to make something healthy and vegetarian for Connor to score some understanding father points and, well…I don’t know why he thought asparagus belonged in a dessert, but…yech.”

Lian giggled. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll have to warn Billy when he’s done talking to Uncle Connor. By the way…I thought his girlfriend was supposed to come to dinner?”

Roy shrugged. “Me too. No one said anything though, so I figured it was best to keep my mouth shut. Don’t want to accidentally set Ollie off and make the poor guy feel bad about whatever happened.”

Lian nodded her agreement. “Still though. It’d be weird if Christmas went off perfectly. We usually have at least one instance of drama when we all get together like this. I warned Billy about it before Cassie dropped us off.”

“Hey guys.” Mia walked over to where Roy and Lian were sitting and offered them a hesitant smile. She was attempting to hide some more recent weight loss with a bulky Christmas sweater, but the sweater couldn’t cover her prominent cheekbones or skeletally thin hands.

Lian worked a smile onto her face, though it bothered her to see her favorite ex-babysitter looking so frail. “Hi, Mia. Merry Christmas.”

“I was thinking that, um, given certain hyper-solitary leanings, you guys’d probably be more likely to run into a member of the Bat Family than I am, and maybe one of them could pass this along to Tim for me?” She held out a red envelope sealed shut with a Christmas tree sticker.

“Of course.” Lian took the card and put it in her purse. “We think Uncle Dick’s going to be in Gotham with the other Bats for a few weeks, but I’ll see Damian at the next Titans meeting and I can pass it along then.”

Mia smiled gratefully, and then glanced uneasily at Roy, who didn’t quite meet her eyes. She turned and went to sit down with Ollie and Hal.

Lian elbowed her dad in the side. As usual, she was sitting on the wrong side for him to return it. “I thought you said you talked to Mia.”

“I did.”

“Why does she still look scared of you?”

“Sweetheart, it takes more than one conversation to fix the fuck ups I made.”

Lian took another look at her old friend, noting how drawn and pale she looked, and then leveled a determined look at her father. “You’d better try harder, Daddy. I…don’t know how much time we’re going to have.”

* * *

Christmas night found Lian sitting in her room trying to figure out how to pack all of her presents into a duffle bag and backpack. As usual, her grandpa had gone overboard on gifts, and she simply had more books, makeup, new clothes, and pet accessories than she could fit into her bags. Maybe she’d ask him for luggage next year.

The most entertaining present of the night by far had been the matching baby name books Ollie had given Roy and Connor. Roy had chucked his right back at Ollie’s head while Hal laughed, and followed it up with a creative threat about what would happen if Ollie mentioned the damn thing to Dick. Connor had handled the rather rude present much more gracefully, surprising no one, though he’d seemed a little withdrawn afterwards as a result.

“Nothing for it. I’m going to have to leave some stuff here.” At least she had her own bedroom for storage. She started sorting her new belongings into two piles; one to pack, and one to arrange decoratively in her Coast City bedroom.

Then there was a light rapping on the door. “Come in.”

Billy walked into the room and, upon receiving a friendly greeting, shut the door and took a seat in her desk chair. He was holding a small gift bag. “Your father just told me that you’re heading back to Keystone tomorrow morning, so I thought I’d best give this to you now.”

“Billy! You didn’t have to get me a Christmas present. I didn’t get you anything,” Lian exclaimed, feeling embarrassed.

“Your kindness has been a present, and a much needed one at that. The…the cost of joining the Titans was much higher than I wanted to pay. I don’t think I could have stomached my duty in light of everything if I still thought I didn’t have a friend on the team.”

“Billy…of course you have a friend on the team! We all really like you, just so you know. We just need to get to know you better.” She ran over and hugged him without even looking at the present. Like Damian, he didn’t seem to know how to respond to a hug, but after a few seconds he tentatively returned it.

Out of mercy for his awkwardness she made it a quick hug, though there had been a certain niceness in their brief physical contact. She was going to have to have a long talk with Irey later, because these new feelings were conflicting with some long cherished ones and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.

Cheeks still warm, Billy held out the present and Lian took it. She extracted an ivory colored ceramic statue of a beautiful Asian woman from the bag. If she had to guess, Lian would have to say it was Buddhist, though she didn’t remember seeing anything like it among her grandfather's or her uncle’s things. “Oh wow. This is beautiful. Thank you, Billy.”

“Do you want me to tell you about it and why I selected it for you?”

“Sure.”

Billy set the bag aside and leaned towards her a little. “This is a statue of the bodhisattva Quan-Yin, or Kwannon, or Avalokitesvara, and probably a million other names besides. It’s an important figure in Mahayanist forms of Buddhism.”

“Bodhisattvas are the people who’ve attained enlightenment, but they stay in the cycle of death and rebirth to help other people, right?” Lian asked.

Billy smiled and nodded. “I couldn’t have said it better myself. So you mediate and you study Buddhism?”

Lian blushed. “Just a little. I still get confused about a lot of it, but I like what I’ve read so far. And everything Uncle Connor’s taught me has been really cool.”

“Well, Quan-Yin is specifically the bodhisattva of compassion. And as I’m pretty sure you’re the most compassionate person I’ve ever met, it seemed fitting that you own at least one Quan-Yin statue.”

Her face must have been bright red. Lian was terrible at accepting compliments. “Billy…I’m, I’m not like…”

“Yes you are.” He placed one of his hands over hers. His whole face was lit up with affection and appreciation. “I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me, and I’m accustomed to show appreciation when it’s deserved. Thank you.”

“Y-you’re welcome. Thank you for my statue. It’s beautiful.”

He was still holding her hand. For a minute, she thought he might kiss her. He only smiled though, then stood and took his leave.

Lian sat on her bed for a few minutes, shifting the cool porcelain statue from hand to hand, lost in thought. She wrapped it up in tissue paper and then again in a long sleeved t-shirt before carefully packing it away in her backpack, all the while wondering if she’d really wanted Billy to kiss her.

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy broods, while an unseen enemy plots against the new Titans.

Death, it seemed, was a funny business.

James Jesse had kind of gotten the feeling that shuffling the mortal coil wasn’t as straightforward as one might expect well before his own death. Quite of a few of his friends had died, and quite a few of them had come back, many with conflicting stories. It seemed not everyone went to the same place when they bit the dust, which was something James found intriguing.

It would have made his after-life much simpler if they all ended up in the same place, but what were you gonna do. He had to work with the cards he’d been dealt.

After his own untimely demise James Jesse found himself a resident of Neron’s hell-realm. Frankly, he’d rather have ended up in _any_ other afterworld, even one of the other hell-realms. Of course he’d go to the one lorded over by a demon king he’d personally ticked off more than once. That just figured. But again, James made the most of what he had to work with. The first few years had been every bit as hellish as Neron’s reputation suggested they ought to be, but James played his expected part. He pretended to be weighed down and crushed by his constant tortures. Neron felt his revenge had been enacted, and his attention eventually shifted to one of the other petty mortals who had wronged him.

When James no longer had so very much of the demon king’s undivided attention he got to know his new existence and more importantly still, he began to network. He’d only survived as long as he had in the costumed world because of the connections he’d made in life, and he was sure the same skills would be helpful in death. Because James wasn’t stupid enough to think that his death had taken him out of the action. Even if he’d suffered such delusions, waking up on Neron’s doormat would have been a strong enough message. Between his son and his friends, he was still involved.

When James found out about his ex-girlfriend’s gruesome murder by ninja-cult, he started asking around. He was hoping to ask Mindy some questions about her death himself, but frustratingly enough, he couldn’t find her. Which was just stupid. If anyone was a nemesis of Neron, it was Miranda Hong. She’d raised and overseen the Majee in full service of Meshta, Neron’s ancient enemy. Neron had a vested interest in not only killing Mindy but keeping tabs on her. He’d managed to stake a claim on James’ soul for eternal damnation and torture, so logic said he’d done the same thing with Mindy.

Much to James’ consternation, three weeks after her death she _still_ hadn’t appeared in the Pit.

* * *

Roy Harper must not have been aware that Piper had super-hearing. To be fair, very few people were. Not being overly fond of surveillance work, Piper had kept that ability to himself, for the most part. A select few friends knew about his robot hearing. He’d also generally kept quiet about the true nature of his hypnotic abilities, preferring to have his enemies underestimate rather than overestimate him.

Still though. For some reason, he’d kind of expected a member of the West family to have tipped Roy off about his hearing by now.

The man was currently walking across the sidewalk in front of his house every twenty minutes or so with his daughter’s dog, no doubt hoping to “casually” bump into Piper while taking Arrow Dog for a walk. Piper was rather curious about why Roy wasn’t just calling him or why he wouldn’t ring the bell, so he remained indoors with the curtains drawn, wondering when Roy was going to give up on his rather pathetic ruse. After nearly an hour of this stubbornness the poor dog, who’d started out excited and full of pep, was panting and trudging along at half pace.

Taking pity on the little ball of urine soaked fluff, Piper grabbed a book and went outside to sit on his porch. Roughly twenty minutes later, Roy caught him on his next pass.

“Oh, hey Piper. What’cha up to?”

Piper tried not to smirk. He closed his book and set it on the small table between his plastic chairs. “Not a whole lot. Your daughter’s dog looks a bit fatigued. Do you want me to grab a bowl of water for her?”

Roy cast a look at the poor thing, who was sitting at his feet with her tongue lolling out of her mouth. She gave her tail a feeble wag when she noticed Roy looking at her, as if to assure him she could keep up with the continuous walking if it would please him. Roy frowned, then threw a quick nod at Piper. “Yeah, I think water’s probably a good idea.”

“C’mon inside then.” It was a mild enough day for a Keystone winter, but it was still a bit chilly to be sitting outside on the porch. Overall it was a good thing Piper did have super-hearing and had heard Roy and his dog doing laps around his house; the poor little chihuahua-terrier mix might have frozen to death before her idiot owner thought to knock on the front door.

Piper went into the kitchen and sifted through his cabinets until he found the smallest bowl he owned. He filled it with water and placed it in front of Arrow Dog. It was still more water than the tiny thing could handle, but she stuck her head in the bowl and appreciatively lapped it up all the same.

Roy shrugged out of his coat and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. “Thanks for watering the dog. Uh…is it okay if I steal something too? I think it just caught up with me, how long I’ve been walking circles around the damn neighborhood.”

“I’ve got spring water, soy milk, and ginger ale at the moment. It’s been a bit since I’ve gone to the store…or had anyone but Jai over the house.”

Roy made a face when he mentioned the soy milk, and accepted a can of ginger ale instead. Piper sat down across from him and eyed him curiously. “Any reason you were walking circles around my neighborhood?”

“Mostly I was feeling too antsy to stay in. Plus I was sort of hoping to bump into you.”

“Ah. Well in that case, you could have just knocked on the door. You’re welcome to do that in the future, you know.”

Roy looked a bit sheepish. “Cool. You’re, like, one of the only people in this city I can stand but…”

“But?”

Roy shrugged. “Don’t you think it’d be kinda weird if we started hanging out? I dunno. It seemed like a weird idea to me.”

Piper frowned and shook his head. Roy glanced down at the dog, a pensive look on his face. “Guess that’s just on my end then. I’m overcomplicating things. Uh, anyway, in the realm of me not being too screwed up for basic friendships, there is something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“All right…” Piper couldn’t help but wonder what _that_ had been about. He’d have to puzzle it out later, it seemed.

“Yeah. I’d heard you knew this Billy Hong kid who just joined the Titans.”

“Oh.” Piper heaved a quiet sigh and gave his head a small shake. “I’m sorry, Roy, but I already gave my most useful intel to Jai when the kids were deciding whether or not to let Billy join the team. I was friends with Billy’s father, but I only met Billy and his mother a handful of times. I don’t really know the boy much better than the Titans do.”

“Ah…well, fuck.”

“If it helps, I don’t think you have anything to be worried about. I may not have had many opportunities to meet Billy in person, but I kept up a fair amount of correspondence with his mother. She was a good person, and I know she worked hard to instill her values in her son. I think he’ll be a valuable addition to the team.”

“Oh, yeah, dude he totally passed. He’s definitely going to be a Titan now. I’m not worried about that,” Roy said.

Piper quirked an eyebrow. “Then what _are_ you worried about?”

“Lian invited Billy back to Ollie’s house with us for Christmas, so I just spent a week with the kid. I like him.”

“Me too.”

Roy sighed. “So does Lian…”

“Oh.” Piper suddenly hit on the full significance of that. “You like him better than that other boy Lian likes.” The one he didn’t really know at all, but had an unfavorable opinion of because the little beast had trampled on Jai’s heart. Of course, he’d done that in secret, so Piper wasn’t able to convey any of his dislike because as far as anyone was allowed to tell, his dislike would be completely unfounded.

“Look, Damian’s a good kid, but he’s also an arrogant prick who makes no secret of his utter dislike of me. It’s bad enough that Wally’s trashing me to his kids, but my daughter’s first damn boyfriend is at least going to respect me. And besides that, Damian is five fucking years older than Lian. Billy’s only a couple years older than her, right?”

“He’s supposed to be significantly older, but he seems to have had his aging suspended for some reason.”

“Right, well anyway, he’s like sixteen. Lian’s fourteen. That’s not so bad. I don’t want them to start dating anytime soon, but in the long run if they really like each other that is kinda the direction I’d like her to go.”

“Mm. I’d say the best way to ensure that doesn’t happen is to make Lian fully aware that you have a preference.”

Roy grumbled something under his breath and threw a bitter look somewhere in the direction of Piper’s shoes. Then he laughed. “I think that might be how Dick ended up dating me the first time around. His old guardians really liked one of his ex-girlfriends, but me not so much…the ‘parental’ disapproval added to my rebellious bad boy appeal.”

“You know, Roy, if you mean Batman, Alfred Pennyworth, and Batgirl, you can just say so.”

Roy snapped his gaze back up and assessed Piper with a shrewd look which he unblinkingly returned. “We’ve only ever interacted in our civilian identities. I figured with you being involved in the Titans and knowing Lian was Speedy, you’d have us all figured out, but the archers have always kind of sucked at secret identities. Do you know everyone’s?”

“I know a lot more secret identities than people realize. It’s okay, Roy. I don’t do anything with the information.” He was barely even a reserve anymore. Piper couldn’t remember the last time he’d suited up.

“I wasn’t particularly worried,” Roy said. The easy sincerity of his statement was oddly touching. Most heroes took a little while to come around on the idea that Piper wasn’t a threat to them, even though he’d been reformed for so many years. Because he’d started his costumed career on the wrong side, he found himself always having to prove himself to people. It could be downright exhausting sometimes.

Apparently Roy already trusted him.

He ended up staying for another hour or so, even though they didn’t have anything pressing to talk about. As was his habit, when general topics of conversation failed him Piper shifted the discussion to music. Roy lit up during the discussion, though occasionally his expression shifted to something more melancholy, and he absently trailed his fingers over the empty sleeve hanging at his side.

Piper had never had that much talent when it came to making music. He couldn’t imagine how awful it must be to have been good at it and then lose the ability. He was pretty sure Roy could still drum if he wanted to; modifications could be made to both drum kits and his prosthetic to make that happen for him. It probably wouldn’t feel quite the same though, which must have had something to do with him not seeking that out. And even Piper’s extensive knowledge of both tinkering and music couldn’t come up with any way to help the man play guitar again.

Roy seemed a little more mindful of Arrow Dog when he left than when he’d arrived, possibly because the poor thing had fallen asleep curled up in front of a radiator after drinking her fill of water. He zipped her up in his coat so that only her little head was sticking out before he left, which was rather brave of him given her tendency to unexpectedly urinate.

Piper watched them go, a small smile on his face as he contemplated his friend. Then he felt an odd shiver. He thought he caught a flash of green light out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned there was nothing there. He considered searching his house, but ultimately decided it was unnecessary. He’d probably just caught an odd reflection off a passing vehicle or something.

Because he hadn’t heard anything. If there was something in his house that didn’t belong, he’d have heard it.

* * *

Meanwhile, after vanishing from Keystone City James Jesse popped over to New York to check on his son. Billy was back in Titans Tower, and from the looks of it he’d really settled in. His room looked like a mix between some kind of occult bookstore and a freaky curiosity shop, and it smelled strongly of incense.

It might have been James’ imagination, but he thought he was getting some of that creepy ‘bigger than it should be’ distortion that usually went along with the dwellings of the magically inclined.

“Heya kiddo. How’s it going?”

Billy was lying on his bed with a large, scary looking tome with yellowed pages cracked open in front of him. He didn’t bother looking up as he shrugged his thin shoulders. “It goes. The Titans haven’t made any progress on figuring out who attacked us, beyond the obvious, anyway. We know it’s Neron, but we’re not sure how he’s extending his reach into our realm.”

“It’s not the same loophole I’m taking.”

Billy finally looked up, wearing the tiniest of wry smiles. “Considering that loophole is me, I should hope not.” He closed the book and sat up, remaining on the bed in a cross-legged position. Upon first glance, James had assumed his son was wearing his usual too-formal-for-comfort ensemble, but he appeared to be relaxing. He was still all in black, but he was wearing sweatpants instead of slacks, and his button down shirt was made of a soft looking fabric. “Have you found Mom yet?”

“I’m still looking. I’ve yanked in all my contacts, so we should have word any day now. How’d your visit with the cute little gal in purple go?”

Billy narrowed his eyes. “Fine.”

James arched one of his brows. “Just fine?”

“Dad, I’m not going to talk about Lian with you.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s weird. Did you talk about girls you liked with your parents?”

“My parents were horrible. This is different.” James jumped into the air and adopted a cross legged sitting position. As he was hovering, he ended up eye level with Billy. “I want to help you out, and I do know a thing or two about dating.”

“I’m sure you do, otherwise I couldn’t imagine you ever catching Mom’s attention.”

“I’m choosing to take that as a compliment.” James flashed one of his more charming smiles, and Billy rolled his eyes.

“I still don’t want dating advice. I've given this a lot of thought since I returned from Coast City, and I don’t…I don’t think it’s a good idea. I mean…” Billy’s expression was as cold and unreadable as he could make it, but James was good at picking up the tiniest little tics that people didn’t notice. He could see the sadness and the weariness in his son’s eyes. “Considering what just happened, I shouldn’t give Neron any more targets. At the moment, he’s killed everyone dear to me.”

“So what’s your grand plan? Go through life keeping everyone at arm’s length just in case? That’s not much of an existence, Billy.”

“It’s better than the alternative,” Billy said. He crawled off the bed and started pacing, letting his agitation show. “I don’t know if Neron had a more strategic reason for killing Mom than hurting me. She’s been plotting against him and working against him for years. He easily could have struck while I was away at that monastery. I wouldn’t have been able to stop him then, but instead he waited until I could fail in person. Until I could…until I could watch.”

“Billy, it wasn’t your fault,” James insisted.

Billy shook his head. “No, it was Meshta’s. He abandoned me when I needed him. I tried to call him, and he didn’t answer.”

James hopped down from his hovering sitting position and drifted closer to Billy. “Careful there, kiddo. You don’t wanna go blaspheming against the deity that’s been watching your back up until now. Maybe there was a reason Meshta didn’t pick up your mystical phone call. Neron might have had that base covered too.”

Again, Billy shook his head. “It was different this time, Dad. I think Meshta wanted Mom to die. Not for the same reasons as Neron, most likely, but I’m pretty sure that’s what happened. I’m just his channel. His majee. He doesn’t let me in on the grand cosmic details, and that’s never really bothered me before, but this time…if there’s a reason, he should have told me.”

It wasn’t the first time James had wanted to give the kid a hug since he’d died, far from it, but James couldn’t remember ever longing for the ability to give physical comfort to someone he cared about more than at that moment. It was up there with the time he’d watched Piper get stabbed through his shoulder and then try to treat the infected wound alone in the condemned ruins of the house his parents had been murdered in. Although the desire to give Piper a much needed hug had been mixed in with a desire to shake him and tell him what an idiot he was for thinking he had to suffer alone.

At least Billy knew he wasn’t alone.

As if summoned by James’ very thoughts, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Billy took a breath and carefully composed himself to some façade of calm before he answered the door.

West’s daughter was standing there, wearing the Kid Flash costume with the cowl down. She smiled shyly at Billy, her skin lighting up with a telling blush. James shook his head in amusement, and silently wondered how many of the kids were crushing on his son.

“H-hey Billy,” Irey mumbled, her pretty eyes meeting his for barely a second before dropping to their feet. “How goes it?”

“I’m well, thanks. I didn’t expect you at the Tower until the next meeting this weekend. Is anything the matter?”

“No. Uh, I mean, well there was a bank robbery this morning that made me late for class and the weather’s been weird, which might be Josh-related, but nothing big’s going on.”

Billy gave a nod, and waited patiently for her to continue. But Irey continued hovering nervously in the doorway, eyes glued to the floor.

“Iris,” Billy gently prompted. “Not that I’m upset at seeing you, but is there a reason you’re here?”

“Oh, yeah! Uh…so Mom and, and Jai and everyone thought you might be lonely. Y’know, since you live at this place pretty much alone for most of the week. They had me run over here to check if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight. We’re having Uncle Piper over too, and then we’re going to play Apples to Apples after dinner. Y’know, unless one of the Rogues tries to do something illegal. Then we’d have to go stop them, but usually we can get through a few hands of Apples to Apples before we have to leave. It’s lame family stuff, but it’s something.”

Considering the conversation they’d just been having, James fully expected Billy to shoot her down. To his pleasant surprise, Billy’s lips quirked in the barest of smiles and he slowly nodded. “That sounds…that sounds nice. If it wouldn’t be an intrusion, I’d like very much to spend an evening with your family.”

“Really? I mean, I mean cool! Awesome! It’s going to be great. Mom’s a really good cook, and Uncle Piper’s just the best, and if you’re there Jai might not be much of a brat. This is going to be great. Here, let me grab you so I can throw a Speed Force field around you and run you to Kansas.”

“That’s okay, Iris. I have my own transportation.” Billy enveloped himself in a blue light and was gone almost immediately. Irey pulled her cowl back up and took off half a second later.

James smiled at the empty room, glad his son was out being social. Later that night, when James jumped up to the land of the living to say goodnight to him, he wanted to strangle the little prick when he explained that he’d gone over to the Wests as a sort of reconnaissance. He was studying his new teammates to get to know them better, and he was intrigued about his father’s old friend.

“I might not have gone if she hadn’t mentioned Piper.”

James scowled. “You know, you’re kind of reminding me of Hartley right now with this insistent martyr phooey. So what’d you think of him?”

Billy shrugged. “He seems nice enough. His friendship with Jai West is a little weird though. They’re oddly close.”

“Hart’s Jai’s fake-uncle and best friend. Of course they’re close.”

“Mm, but it’s…well, anyway, it was a nice enough evening. I’m going to get back to work now though. I missed a night’s study and I’m trying to get through at least three tomes of spellwork before the next meeting.”

James frowned. “Try to get some sleep, while you’re at it. You may be the Majee, but you’re still a mortal.”

“Mm.” Billy barely made any indication of having heard him. He climbed into bed with a horrible looking book on black magic like it was a volume of fairytales.

Although to be fair, sometimes there wasn’t a lot of difference between books of black magic and fairytales.

“Good night, kiddo.”

“Good night, Dad.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Neron’s agent on Earth wasn’t in the mood to remain dormant and undetected. He’d already broken with his master’s desires by attacking one victim not of his choosing, and he was itching to use his infernal new abilities in the service of his own personal vendetta.

He had no intention to wait until the teenagers were ready for him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short! Considering some of you have been waiting over a year for this update, I'd been hoping to make it a nice long one. But it was starting to look like another year was going to pass before I got to a decent word count, so I figured something was better than nothing. I'll try my best to have another update along as quickly as inspiration will let me.
> 
> Thank you so much to anyone still reading. Your support and friendly words have been a comfort <3


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Teen Titans find themselves in an eerily comfortable lull.
> 
> Roy and Dick continue to be dysfunctional, but you gotta stick with what you know.

To everyone's great surprise, the new Teen Titans team actually managed to get a few months of uneventful training sessions in without more super villain attacks. For the first few weeks, Damian and the peer mentors were grateful, since it allowed them a chance to train their new team. However, after enough peaceful weeks of team building exercises and hand to hand combat training one on one with the various members of the group, Damian started to feel wary about the unusual period of calm. Things were even pretty quiet in Gotham and Keystone, the cities most members of the team hailed from.

Someone had murdered two innocent people to get under their skin, and they were no further in solving the case than they had been after that first weekend. There was no indication Neron and his allies were done targeting them, and yet, they'd been left to their own devices to shore up and train. Was it mockery? Was this demon king playing with them, waiting for them to become complacent?

Damian wanted Hong's input on the situation, but he'd also rather crawl naked through a pit of fire and broken glass than admit to needing the bastard's help. Accordingly, he was spending his free time in the Cave searching through every record he could find for information on Neron. There wasn't much. Whereas the demon king had made a few bids for rulership of their realm years ago (back before Drake and his friends had formed a Titans group, when they'd still been calling themselves Young Justice), he hadn't left much of a mark of his presence. He'd used a lot of subterfuge and manipulation, and his massive displays of power had been through the sort of sorcery that wiped itself clean when it was defeated.

At least the team was coming together. They hadn't had many opportunities for them to test their training, but they were all working hard and it showed. X'hawn was almost as comfortable in the air as he was on the ground, and his aim with his energy blasts was impeccable. Lian was as good with a bow as any member of her family, and becoming more skillful with practical forms of hand to hand combat every week. Irey had learned how to lend the others some Speed Force energy for healing purposes, and Billy was nothing short of a powerhouse, as long as Meshta listened when he called. Even Jai was picking up some fighting skills, though he was still physically weak and thus a glaring vulnerable spot in Damian's opinion.

Damian watched his team work through a basic drill and tried to feel good about the progress he'd made. But he knew in his gut that something was off, and couldn't help but wonder when the storm was going to break.

* * *

“What are you wearing? Are those new jeans?”

Roy threw a smirk over his shoulder, and went back to studying his reflection in the mirror. He dragged the brush through his hair a few more times and then turned to face his boyfriend, who was leaning against the doorway in his Nightwing costume, sans mask and escrima sticks. “Yeah, but they're nearly identical to most of my other jeans. How could you tell they were new?”

“Catching obsessive, nitpicky little details is part of my detective training, and considering how often I stare at your ass when it's being hugged so nicely by denim, really there'd be something wrong if I didn't notice. You look...nice.” He said it like an accusation.

“Why thank you. You're a flexing wet dream in spandex, but I'm pretty sure you already know that.” Roy started moving around the bedroom, searching for his wallet, phone, and keys; all the things that had a nasty habit of disappearing on him.

Dick was the one to hand him his keys. “So where are you off to? I take it you're not just sitting on your computer playing spider solitaire while I'm patrolling tonight.”

“Nah. I'm meeting up with Piper. We're going to see this band he's been telling me about. They've got a stupid name, but as a former member of Great Frog I don't think I get to criticize guys for that sort of shit. I'm actually really surprised they're playing Keystone. No one ever plays Keystone.”

“What's the stupid name?” Was it his imagination, or did Dick's voice sound a little strained?

Roy made an effort to hide his irritation at that and answered the question. “Badger Doritos. I guess they named themselves when they were idiot kids and they're stuck with it now because they have a following. Piper's been going to their shows since he was still in the polka dot get up.”

“Jesus. And they made it this far calling themselves that? Well, I guess I can't say made it this far since I've never heard of them before. Uh. Anyway, I hope you guys have fun. I kinda wish you'd told me about it though. I would have gone with you.”

“Oh.” Roy frowned. “Do you want to come?”

“I don't have a ticket.”

“Yeah, but Piper knows everyone at the venue and like half the band. He can probably get you on the list.”

“No, it's...it's fine.” Dick started walking out into the hall and down the stairs. Roy followed after him, but only because he was finished in the bedroom (or so he was telling himself).

“If you want to come, you can come. Piper won't mind. He's definitely a more the merrier type where music's involved.”

“Oh believe me, I don't expect Piper to mind.” Dick grabbed his mask from where it was sitting in the front hall, on a little table beside the shoe rack where a lot of their house keys and stray articles wound up. “Honestly, if he did mind then I'd have a bit of a problem with him hanging out with my boyfriend.”

“Kay, and what does that-”

“Besides, I've already got plans with Damian and Lian.”

“You...what?” Roy glanced at his watch. “It's a school night.” It was already past six, and Lian was only allowed to be out until nine on a school night. And she damn well wasn't supposed to be doing anything that involved a costume.

“Yeah, we're taking the liberty of using our teleportation privileges to get to Gotham. Don't worry, Roy. I'll have her home before curfew.”

“That's not the point. She's not supposed to be doing costumed stuff during the week.” Roy took a deep, steadying breath but found that it did little to help his nerves. “You knew that. Why would you make plans with my kid that break such an important rule?”

“It's barely even costume stuff. We're just going to the Cave to look through some files. Nothing's going to happen.”

“It's fucking Gotham, Dick! Weird shit comes up without warning all the fucking time.”

“And if it does, we'll have her teleport home. I promise, Roy. I can take the kids out to study peacefully without anyone getting hurt. You can trust me. I mean, I didn't think I needed to demonstrate that or anything, but here we are.”

Roy scowled. “Oh do not, do not get lippy with me over you breaking one of my rules for my teenage daughter. Are we going to talk about trust? Because you clearly don't trust me enough to platonically hang out with a mutual friend.”

It was a smidge difficult to read Dick's expression around the domino mask he'd affixed to his face, but Roy had had a lot of practice over the years. He could tell he'd hit a nerve.

Well, good. Piper was pretty much Roy's only friend in Keystone, as the speedsters were almost universally dick-ish to him. He had no plans to give him up just because Dick was jealous and insecure. It was stupid of him and Roy expected him to grow the fuck up and get over it.

“Okay, fine. I admit it. I don't like the fact that you're 'platonically' hanging out with a man we've slept with, considering you open up to him about stuff you won't with me. I know I'm being petty, but god damn it Roy, I'm a music geek too.”

Roy frowned. “What the fuck does that have to do with anything?” It's not like they could take out their guitars and jam together anymore. Roy had tried, and all he'd done was turn a very nice acoustic guitar he'd wanted to give to Lian one day into kindling. His prosthetic was only useful in battle; it did not mimic a regular arm for mundane tasks that didn't require super strength, which was why he didn't wear it most of the time.

“Just...never mind. Have fun tonight, I guess. I'll see you later.”

“Dick, come on-”

“I'm going to be late to meet the kids. We can talk later.”

Roy scowled. “Fucking fine, then.”

He was still fuming when he left the house and started walking over to Piper's. He was about halfway there when he realized that his rules were still being broken, and that his little girl was off to do costume stuff midweek when she should have been home studying for school. “God fucking damn it!”

* * *

“What are you wearing?”

Piper blinked a few times, and glanced down at himself. He tugged at the faded band shirt he was wearing, then glanced back up at his uninvited house guest. “Clothes?”

Jai rolled his eyes. “Obviously. But they all match and none of them are stained. Are you going somewhere tonight?” He helped himself to a strawberry soda and sat down at Piper's table. Piper started moving around the kitchen, looking for the concert tickets and his phone.

“I'm going to see a band with a friend. They haven't toured in ages, and I honestly can't remember the last time they played Keystone.”

“Oh. That sounds fun. Can I come with?”

“It's twenty one plus,” Piper lied.

Jai frowned. “You know like every music person in the Cities. Can't you get me in anyway?”

“Jai, it's a school night. I don't think your parents would appreciate it even if I were inclined to bug my friends for a favor that could get them fired.”

“Fine, be boring and responsible.”

“I'll risk your continued disapproval and stay the course, yes. I've got to get going in a few minutes. I'm sorry, Jai. It's not a great time for a visit.”

Jai tapped his fingers against the side of his soda can. “I guess that's what I get for just dropping in unexpectedly. I dunno. I was just feeling kinda lonely. I guess I could see if any of my friends are free.” He snorted. “That's a fucking joke. I don't have friends. Just teammates and fuck buddies.”

“Jai...”

He held his hands up. “I swear, Hartley. I'm not trying to guilt trip you into taking me to the concert. I'm just being my normal whiny self.”

Piper wasn't sure he believed him, but he'd run with that premise if that's what Jai wanted to do. “Ah. So this is run of the mill angst, then?”

Jai grinned at him and changed positions so that he was straddling the kitchen chair. He rested his arms on the back of the seat. “Totally self indulgent and pathetic, but yeah, also normal.”

Piper shrugged into his coat, tucked the concert tickets into his pocket, and Jai followed after him to the front entryway.

“So who are you taking to the show?”

Piper hid his grimace by bending over to pull on his boots. “A friend.”

“You've said, but your social life's arguably worse than mine. Who is it? New boyfriend?”

He didn't know what to make of that tone of voice. Piper glanced over his shoulder at Jai, but his facial expression wasn't giving him any clues either. “No, a friend. If it were a boyfriend I'd have said so.”

“Kay, so...”

“Ugh. Roy Harper. We were both lamenting Keystone's horrible music scene and promised that we'd clue the other in if any good bands actually deigned to stop by. I'm keeping my word.”

“Wow, Hartley. I'm surprised at you.”

Piper finished with his boots and reluctantly made eye contact with his young friend. He didn't answer, not particularly wanting to pursue the conversation, but Jai kept going anyway.

“I mean, Lian's dad is dating friggin' _Nightwing._ Like Nightwing of the notoriously magical ass. I didn't realize you had the confidence to go up against that. I'm actually impressed.”

“I'm not going up against anything. Roy and Dick are happy together and I respect that,” Piper snapped.

“Hartley, they are most certainly _not_ happy together. They fight and break up all the time. Look, I get that Lian's dad is pretty hot but he's also a hot mess. Just don't let them pull you into their drama, okay?”

“Despite appearances, Jai, I am actually an adult and can look after myself. But I appreciate the warning.” In that he was going to encourage Jai whenever he displayed any sort of empathy or concern, even if it did seem something like his manipulative tendencies in this particular situation.

God, he really wanted this phase of Jai's teen angst to end quickly.

He could hear Roy approaching the house, and based on his heart rate and muttered invective, he wasn't in a great mood either.

“Are you sure I can't come with you guys? If it's really just friendly, there's no reason to ditch me.”

“I'm sorry, Jai, but the answer is still no.”

“Ugh, fine.” Jai rolled his eyes, and started walking in the same direction Roy was coming from. They met at the sidewalk and he smiled sweetly. “Hey, Mr. Harper. How goes it?”

“It goes...”

“That's a really good look for you. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were getting ready for a date or something. Anyway, I hope you and Hartley have fun tonight. I'd love it if a real music scene came back to Keystone and I didn't have to keep going to other cities for concerts. See you around.”

Roy looked more than a little confused when he joined Piper in the driveway. “Is it just me or was that weird even for Jai?”

Piper wanted to feel insulted about the 'even for Jai' dig, but sadly he could only agree. “I've told you, he's oddly fixated on me lately. I'm hoping he'll grow out of it soon.”

“Eh, from what I hear half the team has a crush on the new kid. Maybe they'll start dating or something. I was never one of the sidekicks with a mentor crush, what with my mentor being a fucking train wreck, but if I remember correctly them getting a boyfriend or girlfriend their own age solves that problem. And creates a fuck ton of others, but those problems won't be yours.”

Piper sighed. “Unfortunately for us, Billy's straight.” Roy visibly perked up at that. “Oh, right. You want your daughter to date him. I'd forgotten.”

“Don't ever let Lian hear you saying that or you'll push her right into Shaytun's arms.” They got into Piper's car, and he started driving towards the music venue. “So how'd you learn the kid was straight?”

“I asked him.”

Roy let out a startled laugh. “Somehow that hadn't occurred to me.”

“To be fair, it might come across as creepy if you did it,” Piper said with a smirk. “As is, it came up naturally in conversation.”

As a parent and former Titan, Roy's presence wasn't overly desired at the new Titans Tower. The kids were trying to build their own team and confidences with each other, and didn't want a bunch of authority figures peering over their shoulders ready to discipline and judge them for every little thing. Piper was one of only a handful of adults who'd spent much time in the Tower, and his role as a non-judgmental cool “uncle” figure had been extended from the West kids to some of the others. He didn't quite get why the kids were opening up to him and seeking his advice, as his life seemed like enough of an obvious mess to discourage others from trusting his judgment, but he would never turn anyone away if they came to him for help.

At any rate, he was enjoying the opportunity to get to know James Jesse's son. Billy was incredibly different from Piper's old friend, but still an intriguing and pleasant teenager. He wasn't surprised the other kids were crushing on him.

“Are you going to the Tower again this weekend?”

Piper nodded. “Cyborg sent some stuff to the kids from the old Tower in San Francisco and Jai asked me to help him look through it. In addition...” Piper trailed off for a moment, as he still wasn't sure how he felt about this. “Shaytun asked if I could oversee his training sessions with Jai. He's been teaching all the kids basic fighting styles and hand to hand combat. I agreed, of course, but it seems...odd. He said he wants me there because I'm mentoring Tech so he wants to make sure his instruction won't go against anything I'm showing Jai, but why would it? I suck at hand to hand fighting. All my techniques involve weaponry and a fair amount of distance. Shaytun is teaching Jai a completely different skill set. I can't help but notice that I'm the only mentor being asked to be present for this.”

Roy turned a sour glance out the window. “How well do you know Shaytun?”

Piper hesitated before answering. He knew Roy didn't like the teen, but for vastly different reasons than Piper, and he wasn't sure if Roy was apprised of the events that had prompted Piper to form his negative opinion. “I...I wouldn't say I know him particularly well. He keeps to himself. He's always respectful though.”

“He and Jai...have a history. I don't blame him for not wanting to be alone with the kid. Especially if they're going to be putting their hands on each other.”

Piper frowned and nodded. “Yeah. I was afraid that that's what that was. Well, at least he's still making sure Jai gets as much training as the others. He's not letting their history get in the way of keeping Jai safe.”

They were quiet for a fair few minutes. They were close enough to the venue that Piper turned his attention to trying to find a place to park. He pulled into a space in front of a diner, and they started walking the few blocks to the club.

“Do you really suck at fighting?”

“The Flashes joke around about it, yes.”

Roy appeared to be more upset about that than Piper ever had been. “That's rather shitty of them.”

“Eh. The jokes are actually more on Barry than me. I find it quite amusing how well I managed to convince him I was a threat during the polka dot days. I was always kind of a joke among the other super villains. Not a single one of them was surprised when I switched sides. Len always said he was mostly surprised I stayed with villainy as long as I did when it was clear I actually wanted to help people.”

“Hm.” Roy shoved his hand in his pocket and started studying the buildings around them, which meant he was probably spacing out a bit. They were almost at the club when he spoke again. “Did you want to learn?”

“Hm?” Piper was digging through his pockets looking for the tickets. “Learn what? To fight?” He laughed. “Come on, it's a little late for that, isn't it?”

“Dude, the kids are totally pulling you back into the thick of things. It's never a bad idea to know more defense than you'll think you need. I can teach you how to throw a punch.”

“It's okay, really. I have methods that work for me. After all, I did manage to convince three Flashes I was a dangerous opponent. Where the fuck are the fucking tickets? I didn't leave them in the car, did I?”

“Why didn't you send them to your phone?”

“Because I like having physical tickets. Where the fuck are...”

The guy working the door was clearly getting impatient. He pointedly turned to another group behind them that was waiting with their phones out. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Piper stepped out of the way and continued digging through his coat pockets. He was almost positive he hadn't left the tickets in the car.

Then someone called out to Roy. They chatted for a few minutes, expressing a shared enthusiasm for what appeared to be a reviving music scene in Keystone, and then the man, who was wearing a tour pass, got Roy and Piper added to the list. “If you guys are around after the show, you should come get drinks with us. Good seeing you, man.”

Roy waved, and started off in the direction of the bar. “Huh, I can't believe Ed's working as a guitar tech now. Back when I knew him, he was fronting his own band. We opened for him a few times.”

“At least he's still in the industry.”

“Oh, yeah, this is totally his life. He's never gonna quit. That'd have probably been me if the superhero stuff hadn't...well, anyway. I'm getting a drink. You want anything?”

“I guess I should have some water. This place doesn't seem very well ventilated. It's going to get hot in here once it fills up.” With that in mind, Piper shrugged out of his coat. “I'm going to check this. Want me to take yours?”

“Nah, I'm good.”

Before handing his coat off at the coat check Piper gave it another search, but the tickets weren't in any of the pockets. He clearly remembered stuffing them in the larger of the inside pockets before leaving the house, and he hadn't taken them out while they'd been in his car.

'It doesn't really matter. You got in. It's not worth obsessing over.' He made a conscious effort to put it out of his mind, and by the time he and Roy staked out their spot off to the side of the stage he was starting to feel better. It had been far too long since he'd gone out for live music. It was going to be a good night, and he wasn't going to let any anxiety or tendency to fret over stupid details spoil it.

* * *

From the looks of things, Damian had beaten Dick and Lian to the Bat Cave by a considerable chunk of time. Which made sense, considering he lived in Wayne Manor, but they'd commuted in via League teleportation and had arrived twenty minutes and fifteen minutes before they'd agreed to meet up, respectively.

When they got down to the Cave they found Damian in full costume surrounded by boxes of paper records with his back to the computer, which was displaying several open documents and a browser window with about twenty different tabs.

Lian was wearing civilian clothes and had her backpack with her. She pulled a chair up next to Damian and started sifting through one of the boxes. “What's all this?”

“Data that's never been scanned into the computer. I suggested Drake for the task, but was told that it's rude to delegate tedious assignments like that. Still though. It would have been useful of him.”

Lian quirked a brow but didn't say anything. She grabbed a manilla folder, set it on her lap, and opened it to find a pile of newspaper clippings. Most of them were grouped together with paper clips and some of them had post-its on them. “I guess I never considered the work involved in having your computer so full of info. I assumed you just, like, hacked it all.”

“We've hacked into a lot of other peoples' databases, but we've got plenty of our own intel, too.” Dick sat down on the edge of the desk and started scrolling through the files Damian had pulled up on the computer. “Nobody really likes database entry, unfortunately. It's tedious. Bruce used to dole that one out as a punishment.”

“Mm. He stopped when he realized how sloppy the results were getting,” Damian added. “I believe several of the errors we've caught so far can be traced to one particularly rebellious summer of yours.”

“The one between my last year of high school and my first year at Hudson,” Dick said with a fond sigh. “Not all of those errors were accidents, either. Your dad was being a regular pill and I was mad at him. So Damian, what's all this? I thought we were looking for info on Neron together.”

“I've already examined everything Father, Oracle, and the League has on Neron. It wasn't much, so I've expanded my search terms for anything to do with Hell Realms and demons, period. I pulled these boxes while I was waiting for you to get here. Between the three of us, my best guess is we'll have all of Father's files read if we can meet three times a week for the next four months.”

Lian chewed her lip. “That's...um, a bigger time commitment than I was expecting.”

Damian set down the papers he'd been reading. “This is important.”

“I know, but...um. I've gotta get my homework finished at some point too.”

“I've finished mine.”

“You don't go to school.”

“I don't see how that's relevant. I still have work I need to complete within a certain time frame to satisfy my academic credentials.”

Lian rubbed at her eyes. “I'm in school for like eight hours every day between school itself and my extra curriculars, I spend all my weekends at Titans Tower learning how to fight, plus I'm actually trying to have a social life for some stupid reason. All of that takes time, and Daddy's going to make me quit the team if my grades tank.”

Damian didn't appear phased by any of that. Lian sighed. “I can come and read files with you once a week.”

“That will put us very far behind schedule.”

“It's the best I got, Dami.”

“It's more than fair,” Dick said, going so far as to use his 'leader' voice. Damian threw him a sour look but didn't complain. “And Lian, if you do feel like you're biting off more than you can chew, make sure you speak up. Balancing superhero stuff around high school sucks royally, especially when you're academically gifted. People expect too much of you, and then feel betrayed if you bomb a test here or there even if it's from obvious exhaustion.”

“Thanks, Uncle Dick. Right now it's going okay, but I think that's only going to be the case if I set up firm boundaries.” She shot a significant look at Damian, and was sure he missed it completely as he turned his attention back to his files.

They read in silence for the next couple of hours. Dick eventually changed out of his costume in favor of comfortable, lounging around clothes. He placed a call for pizza, and he and Lian happily destroyed a medium together while Damian sniffed at the trash they were putting in their bodies and munched on a plate of veggies with a superior air.

Lian made an attempt at conversation but only Dick took the bait. It was fairly obvious he wasn't the Bat Family member she was interested in talking to, so the conversation died out quickly and the trio went back to their reading.

Dick was getting ready to call it a night and suggest they head back to Keystone when Lian made a comment on her file. “I didn't know your mom was involved in the Red Hood's resurrection.”

“Pardon?”

Lian held up the folder she was reading. “According to your dad's notes, the al-Ghuls threw Jason Todd into a Lazarus Pit. You used a Lazarus Pit to bring me back too, right? Was it, like, the same sort of thing, or...Damian? Is everything okay?”

Damian's expression had turned to one of grim focus. He calmly took the folder from Lian and read through the notes. Dick watched him carefully, waiting for the right moment to interject.

After a seeming eternity, Damian walked over to the computer and started looking through folders. He easily hacked into intel that Bruce had locked down, which made Dick wonder if he ought to mention that Damian had figured out the passwords or not.

Likely not. If anyone deserved the poetic justice of having their privacy violated by someone they cared about, it was Bruce Wayne.

“He barely kept any records of Todd's resurrection. This is the first I've heard of my maternal family's involvement.”

“I don't really know many details, myself,” Dick admitted. “Jason tracked Bruce down the same week Bludhaven was nuked. I was...”

“Understandably distracted,” Lian said with a nod. “Dami...do you think the al-Ghuls did something to him?”

“My mother installed machinery in my body that gave a super villain remote access to my limbs in order to make a clumsy attempt on Grayson's life, while under the guise of giving me medical aid. I don't think there's any question that they tampered with Jason Todd somehow. What I want to know is specifically _what_ they did to him.”

* * *

As Lian had to be home by curfew, she and Dick beat Roy back to their house by a considerable margin. Dick's mind was still reeling over the assertions Damian had made, and he spent some time brooding over the possibility that the al-Ghuls had somehow tampered with Jason.

Honestly though, thinking of it as a hypothetical seemed naive at this point. Damian was most likely right. It was almost a certainty that they'd tampered with Jason, which would explain the drastic personality change between his Robin and Red Hood days. Dick had always chalked that up to the trauma of dying, but being possessed by a demon would also explain a complete mental and emotional one eighty.

Even if Jason wasn't connected to the demon conspiracy the Titans were facing, Dick decided that he needed to track the guy down and get some answers. They'd left this hanging for too long already. If Jason's soul had been tampered with, he'd never find rest, and the poor guy deserved to rest.

A small, insistent part of Dick's psyche was also stuck on the possibility that they could purge whatever the al-Ghuls had done to Jason out of him, and Bruce would get his wayward kid back. That thought was terribly conflicting for Dick, so he willfully kept it on the back burner.

After much brooding and pacing, Dick sank back onto the living room couch and finally remembered he had a boyfriend he was annoyed with. He took out his phone and started looking through social media, but neither Roy nor Piper had checked in about the concert. Well that was lame. Apparently they were 'living in the moment' and actually enjoying the live music.

Dick checked the time, and realized it was only ten o'clock. He wasn't used to being in so early, but Lian's curfew was for nine on school nights and she was always at least in her room, if not actually asleep, by nine thirty. Dick had spent quite a few nights listening in stunned disbelief but he never heard her sneaking around or making any attempt to break her father's rules.

It didn't quite gel with the pee-scented dog curled up in a gigantic floofy pet bed by the fireplace, but from what Roy said Lian only pushed back against the rules when Ollie was around. Apparently the emerald archer was a terrible influence. Which, considering Roy's teen years, wasn't exactly surprising.

As if sensing that Dick had been thinking of her, Arrow Dog looked up and gave her tail a few sad little wags. Dick crossed the room and sat down next to her bed. He scritched her ears, and she left sloppy kisses in his hand. “Aw, you're a cute enough little thing some of the time. We just gotta get that overactive bladder of yours under control.” Arrow Dog gave his hand another lick, then dropped her head down and went back to sleep.

“I suppose I could go out on another patrol,” Dick mumbled to the quiet house. He'd be patrolling if he were still in New York, which would be highly convenient for his overactive and somewhat paranoid brain. Idle time didn't agree with him.

He wanted to text Roy, so he ended up texting Damian instead. His phone vibrated with a new call instead of an answering text. “Hey. So you're not busy then?”

“I'm on patrol,” Damian snapped. “As you should be. A network of mostly unknown, highly powered super villains with connections to at least one Hell Realm have targeted those close to us because of the interference of an interloper and his inconsistent bodyguard deity, and you're sending me whiny text messages because you're bored and needy.”

“Pretty much, yeah. Roy's still out with his buddy and Lian's in bed.”

“Ugh. If you're that lonely, you're welcome to join me.”

“Nah, I'm not going to have the League teleport me again tonight. I just...figured it'd be nice to talk a bit.”

“Mm hm. With me. Grayson, I'm not exactly renowned for my conversational prowess.”

“I know.”

“You need more friends.”

Dick bristled at that. “I have plenty of friends!”

“You have a network of fuck buddies, former coworkers, and exes. If you're desperate enough for conversation that you turned to me, you clearly don't have enough friends to satisfy your social needs.”

“That's a bit rich, coming from you.”

He could hear the smirk in Damian's voice. “I have exactly as many friends as my level of sociability requires. You're the needy one. Now if you'll excuse me, there's a robbery that requires my intervention. I'll call you later.”

“Yeah...bye.” Dick tossed his phone aside and stared at the ceiling. “I need to take up a new hobby.”

* * *

Roy almost forgot he was mad at Dick when he found him konked out on the living room sofa. He looked cute, wearing one of Roy's t-shirts with a cozy pair of sweatpants, his phone resting on his stomach and the 'is anyone watching' Netflix screen on the television. Roy turned off the TV and gently nudged Dick's shoulder.

“Mm?” The unguarded smile on Dick's face when he opened his eyes and saw Roy standing over him went a long way in clearing the remaining ill-will from their fight. He really was just the most gorgeous creature Roy had ever seen, and he felt incredibly lucky every time Dick looked at him like that. “Hey. How was your thing?”

“Really good. The band may have a stupid fucking name, but they're good. They said they're planning on coming around again in the summer. I'll definitely give you enough notice to come with us next time.”

“Cool.” Dick sat up and tugged Roy down onto the couch next to him. “You still pissy with me?”

“Eh. We need to have a talk about respecting my parenting decisions, but that can wait until the morning. You still pissy with me?”

Dick dropped his head onto Roy's shoulder. “I swear, I'm not jealous of Piper. I'm glad you've got a friend that shares an interest with you. But it'd be nice if you remembered that I shared that interest too, okay? I've literally begged you to let me listen to your Great Frog recordings and you've never let me.”

“Because they suck.”

“But you played them for Piper.”

“I...yeah. But I only did because he was saying he was shitty at music and I just don't buy it. I want to hear what it sounds like when he plays music for fun, not for fighting people. I bet he's better than he thinks he is.”

Dick smiled. “I jammed with him once at a Christmas party at Wally and Linda's. He's not bad. He's certainly a lot better than I ever got with my guitar.”

“Well, if bonding over music is that important to you I'll make more of an effort. But Dick...I'm pretty satisfied with the way things are. You don't, like, have to be involved with every aspect of my life to be important to me, okay? You're the fucking love of my life, even if I forget to invite you along to a small gig at a shitty bar, okay?”

“...you're making me sound really needy.”

“Dude, you were totally being needy.”

Dick lightly bit his shoulder. “I've asked you repeatedly not to call me dude.”

“Sorry. I am trying.”

“Mm.” Dick tiredly nuzzled against Roy's neck. “Let's just go to bed. We can fight in the morning.”

“Let's fight in the early afternoon. I'm fucking wiped.”

“Semantics.” He twined his fingers with Roy's as they walked upstairs to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely hope not to go multiple years without updating again. Being very real here: this fic has gotten much more difficult to write since all the DC reboots and continuity tweaking. I'm rereading old comics to get back into the characters' heads and hoping that will be enough, because I do know how this story ends and I'd like to share that with you folks. But the writing doesn't flow as easily as I'd like it to. Encouraging feedback helps a lot. If you like what I'm doing, please let me know. I reread the fic last week while I was working on this chapter, and xeptitron's comments on legit every single chapter were very helpful for re-engaging with the characters after so much time away. Also, shout out to Archie for being this fic's greatest cheerleader. It would have died completely several times over without you <3


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Teen Titans make the most of the suspicious quiet for some training. And of course, teenage emotions complicate everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, a new chapter! And it's been updated in a reasonably timely manner :D

After an incredible night of live music and the occasional bit of banter with someone nearly as passionate and geeky about music as he was, Piper said goodnight to Roy and made his way back over to the bar. He got another water and waited until he was sure his friend had left the venue, then he blended into the crowd, tossed the water, and snuck up behind a scrawny teen who most definitely should not have been there.

“I have super hearing.”

Jai turned away from the young man he was chatting up and sneered at Piper. “I know.”

“So what in the hell are you doing here?”

Jai excused himself from his conversation and followed Piper to a quieter spot towards the back of the room. “Don't try to take the moral high ground, Hartley. You lied to me about the show being twenty one plus. I didn't even have to show my ID at the door.” He held up his hands to show the black X's that had been sharpied onto the back of them.

“Do your parents know where you are?”

“Why did you lie to me?”

Piper closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was determined not to let Jai get them off track. “That's not the-Jai, you are not supposed to be here right now! It's a school night, it's almost midnight, and I specifically did not invite you. How did you get in? Did you steal my tickets?”

Jai fixed a cool look on Piper and met his eyes with an unflinching stare. “If you really cared, you would have found me as soon as you noticed I was here. Instead you kept going on your weird not really date thing with Lian's dad. And don't bother giving me another line about how you're just friends, Hartley. I was watching you. I can tell you're into him, and I'm pretty sure he knows too.”

“I'd really rather not have this conversation with you, Jai, but since you won't let it go, fine. Roy is very attractive and were he single, I'd be interested. Here's the thing about adulthood though. I can recognize that someone is attractive, feel the attraction, and then _choose_ to do the right thing, which is to pursue a friendship that I find fulfilling. Now that I've exonerated my personal life from your judgment, it's time to go home.”

“If you really cared, you would have found me when-”

“Jai, just come with me.” Piper grabbed him by the arm and started for the exit. Jai allowed himself to be tugged along, but once they were outside he easily twisted out of Piper's grasp and took off down an alleyway. “Jai!”

He followed Jai for blocks, but the lithe teen was in much better shape than him and eventually Piper had to admit that even though he could hear where Jai was going, he couldn't catch up to him. He didn't even hesitate about texting Wally and Linda. Jai was showing no concern whatsoever for Piper's boundaries or even a sense of real friendship towards him anymore, and if that's how he wanted to play it then Piper was more than happy to be one of the adults that reported on him when he was being a snotty brat.

By the time he got home to his empty house Piper already regretted his reaction. He'd been angry with Jai, and he'd been petty as a result. He knew Jai was perfectly safe, so he couldn't even pretend a concern for his safety had prompted the ratting to his parents.

Well, he would have told Wally and Linda eventually. It was a school night. If they'd noticed Jai was gone, they must have been worried.

He wanted to scream. He'd thought his own rebellious teen years had prepared him for his friendship with Jai, but they didn't have as much in common as he'd thought. Piper had wanted nothing more than the stability and love all the adults in Jai's life were trying to show him, and Jai was determined to push them all away. He couldn't get through to him, and he was running out of ideas.

Piper crawled into bed still mostly dressed, took out his phone, and sent Jai a text, asking if he was grounded. His phone started buzzing almost immediately.

“If I were grounded, Mom would have taken my phone.”

“Fair,” Piper said. “Are you pending grounding then?”

“Nah, they decided that the grounding isn't working so instead I've got community service. They're going to talk to you about ideas tomorrow.”

“Hm. I suppose it's too much to hope that you actually feel bad about anything that happened tonight?”

“Um...Mom said some stuff that, um...did make me feel a bit bad about...uh...”

Piper patiently waited while Jai stumbled and tripped over his words.

“I guess I have been pretty unfair to you lately.”

“Mm hm.”

“And, uh, what you said about, like...liking someone but not letting that ruin your friendship with them. That's a pretty good skill, I guess. So far every time I've liked a guy I've turned our friendship into a total dumpster fire, so maybe I should work on that. Y'know, considering I repulse everyone and can't ever seem to hold down a boyfriend, I should probably get better at friendships. You obviously did and it's working out for you. Y'know, even though you like never go on dates, you never seem lonely or anything.”

Piper did his best to ignore how much that particular barb hurt and focused on the part of that little speech that hadn't wounded him. “You're only sixteen years old, Jai. I wouldn't worry too much about not being able to hold down a boyfriend.”

“Yeah. I don't need to worry until I'm as old as you are, right? I'm kidding, Hartley. I can hear that you're getting pissy but you shouldn't. I'm being ridiculous on purpose. You're still, like totally hot for an old guy. You just need to stop looking at guys that are taken already.”

“Jai, I'd really rather not discuss this with you. I was texting to see if you were home, safe, and at all repentant about doing your utmost to spoil my evening.”

“C'mon Hartley, that was nowhere near my utmost. That was me being kinda curious about what you were up to and why you would lie to me.”

They were going in circles. He really would be better off just hanging up on the brat. Piper was pretty sure Jai had this in common with his teenage self: a dramatic flair for grabbing attention, and the neediness to do it constantly, the more negative the attention the better.

“I guess though...you're just treating me how I'm treating you. I'm, I'm sorry, Hartley. You're being a way better friend to me than I deserve. And it's really cool that you checked in on me. I thought you'd be too pissed off to care if I got home okay.”

And then the little shit just had to go and say something genuine, and actually human, right when Piper most needed to hear it from him. He didn't know what he was dreading more; the day those little overtures ended, or the possibility that he wasn't going to believe them even when they were offered.

“I always care, Jai. Next time, can you please behave in such a way that I won't feel concerned enough to call your parents in to begin with?”

“I'll try. Really, Hartley, I will. I'll try. I do...want to be better than I am.”

“That's reassuring. Good night, Jai.”

“Night.”

* * *

Billy walked around his room at Titans Tower, carefully checking that all the windows were blocked by his heavy drapes and that his door was not only locked, but magically sealed as well. Once he was sure of his privacy, he began practicing the fighting moves Wayne had demonstrated for him at their last meeting.

As was true of many metas with incredible powers, Billy was not currently the best at hand to hand combat. The powerless superheroes had to work a lot harder than their superpowered counterparts to be able to hold their own in battle, which made perfect sense. However, Billy still found it embarrassing that he was deficient in such an important aspect of costumed heroics. He was telling himself that it had little to do with the fact that he was bad at something Damian Wayne excelled at, but he wasn't doing a very good job convincing himself of his higher motives. He would continue practicing in private until he could soundly kick Shaytun's ass without calling on Meshta's help.

He was off-balance and aware of the need for correcting that when a green flash out of the corner of his eye startled him, and he fell, landing painfully on his backside.

“Graceful move, kiddo.”

“Dad! What are you doing here?” Billy sat up and carefully patted himself over. Well, he likely wouldn't bruise, which was good. “I sealed the room. You shouldn't have been able to get in.”

James blinked at him a few times. “I popped in just like I always do. Maybe I'm exempt from your seals for some reason? I mean, you were the one who summoned me from Hell to begin with.”

“I guess.” Billy grabbed his water bottle and sat down on his bed. James took up a position floating in mid air in front of him. He was wearing the more traditional Trickster costume this time, but thankfully not the one he'd died in. Even though this variant had more clashing colors, and Billy _hated_ clashing colors, it was comforting in a way. He didn't like thinking of James' last moments if he could help it.

As with his mother's death, Billy felt that he should have been able to do something to save his father. Unfortunately, he'd been at the monastery in his age freezing trance meditation at the time, and had had no idea his father was being pursued by dark forces. At first he'd believed his ignorance of James' peril to have been an oversight on Meshta's part, but since Mindy's death he'd been starting to question his patron deity's choices.

“So what was that chicken dance you were doing? Anything to do with why it's so damn dark in here?” James glanced at the windows, an infuriating grin on his ghostly youthful face.

Billy could feel his cheeks growing warm. “I was practicing. Humiliating hours of practice are necessary before one becomes proficient at anything, and as they are humiliating they are best kept private.”

“Mm. Or you could, y'know, ask for help and instruction. Just a thought. I wasn't the best at fighting when I first joined up with the Rogues, and when Len noticed he taught me a few things. It's one of the ways we bonded. Hey, have you heard anything about Captain Cold since you've been back in the States? How's he doing, anyway?”

“We encountered him on our first mission as a team.”

“Oh yeah. How'd he look?”

“Old.”

James snorted. “You're sixteen. Everyone over thirty looks old to you.”

Billy shrugged his shoulders. “I don't think any of your former friends are aging particularly gracefully, Dad. My guess is they're under stress. I can't imagine why. The speedsters certainly go easy on them. Bart even seems to like a few of them, and didn't they kill him that one time?”

James rubbed at his chest, where the bullet hole had been on his physical body. “That was Inertia's fault, not ours.”

“Right. Um. Anyway, what brings you by?”

“Just saying hi, mostly. I thought it'd be a good idea to have chats before your Titans weekends start. You feeling more comfortable with the other kiddies yet?”

Billy walked over to the window and pulled back one of the drapes, just enough to make a crack that let him peer out at their extensive lawns. Shaytun was outside, warming up and practicing his fighting moves in plain sight. He knew Irey was already somewhere in the Tower, and expected the rest of the team to trickle in over the course of the next hour.

“I'm...getting there, I suppose. None of them seem to find me nearly as awkward as I feel most of the time, so that's a good thing.”

James was looking over his shoulder. “Oh hey, there's Piper!” He was walking up the lawns with Jai at his side, both of them carrying large boxes of equipment. “Let's go outside and say hi.”

“Dad, no.”

“Why not?”

Billy frowned and bit his lip. “It'd be weird. I mostly stay in my room and let them seek me out. If I were to...”

“Billy, there is no reason to be scared of saying hi to your friends.”

Despite the patronizing tone, James' words were clearly meant in good faith. He looked slightly amused, and somewhat exasperated at Billy's continued reluctance to engage with his teammates on anything unrelated to work. Even though Billy had a more serious, studious temperament than his father that he generally took pride in, sometimes he envied his father's ability to play the fool and put himself in embarrassing situations. James could laugh at himself, and often did. There was a wonderful sort of freedom in that.

“Dad, just because _you_ want to snoop on Piper doesn't mean I have to strike up a suspiciously uncharacteristic conversation with people I don't want to chat with. Besides, Jai West is down there and he's a little...” Billy couldn't find the right word for the particular discomfort he felt in the other teen's presence. It was hard to describe. Jai was engaging and charming, but there was something about all of their interactions that hadn't felt quite right to Billy. He much preferred the sister, who though easily flustered with a tendency to trip over her words, held a sort of charm through earnest good will.

Of course, no one captivated his attention as much as Lian Harper, who seemed to embody the best qualities of her other friends. She had Jai's grace and pleasing manners with Irey's sincerity. After the disaster that had ended in his mother's death, Billy had attempted to keep some emotional distance from Lian, sure his feelings would make her a target as well. He thought he was doing a fair job in that department. He felt more strongly for her than was wise, but he was also hiding it as best he could. He was content to admire her from a distance, and wish things were different than they were.

“You still having issues with Wally's kid?” James' words roused Billy from his thoughts.

“Not issues, exactly. I'm pretty certain he likes me, which means we should be able to work well enough as teammates.”

“But you don't like him?”

Billy sighed. “I don't dislike him. It's just...does he not seem a bit odd to you too?”

“Eh. I'm not the best judge of character in the world, but the little creeper seems harmless enough to me. I think it's kids-without-powers syndrome. He's trying to impress everyone around him to compensate for the fact that most of his family has impressive superpowers and he doesn't.”

“Maybe that's it.”

“Plus the kid is totally gone for you, and that can create some tension if you don't return his feelings.”

Billy turned around and fixed a sour look on his father. “According to you, the entire team has a crush on me.”

“Well you're very handsome. What? Just because I'm your father doesn't mean I'm completely biased here. Bill, trust me on this. I might miss the mark on character sometimes, but I'm pretty good with peoples' motivations and the way they get played by their own emotions. At least half your team has the hots for you. It's not really a bad thing.”

“It's not something I want.” Billy looked out the window one more time, where Piper and Shaytun were talking while Jai moodily stared at them from a distance, and then pulled the curtains shut. “Have you made any progress on locating Mom yet?”

“Nothing yet. I'm starting to think she might be in another afterlife realm. But I was sure Neron would have made arrangements to grab her for his Hell Realm.”

“Mm. He must be hiding her. He wouldn't have let her escape his clutches.”

“I did find something else out though.”

Billy sat down on the bed again and steepled his fingers together. “I'm listening.”

“There's been a lot of traffic between this realm and Neron's lately. And his minions are preparing for a drastic change in the population of Hell. They're making room, Billy. I'm not sure if they're planning on killing off a whole bunch of people from Earth or if they're looking to do a soul grab from one of the other afterlives, but either way it looks like an expansion of ranks. He's forming an army.”

Billy grimly nodded. “And Meshta still isn't speaking to me. That's just...”

“Not ideal, I agree,” James said. “Try not to worry too much, kiddo. I'll keep you supplied with info and do what I can to sabotage the big green jerk from my end. In the meantime, keep building up your team. It's all you can do right now. Don't panic over what you can't control, you hear me?”

“Yeah. I...I'll try. Neron doesn't make foolhardy decisions. If he's still amassing power, he isn't looking to fight just yet. We still have time.”

James nodded. “Exactly. I'm gonna head back to the Pit. Try to have a good weekend, okay? Hang out with your friends a little.”

Billy shook his head in fond exasperation. “Goodbye, Dad.”

“Later, buddy.”

* * *

The kids had all trickled into Titans Tower by six o'clock Friday evening, and Damian had them outside training until eleven, when Wonder Girl finally intervened to send his exhausted team up to their rooms for rest. “You guys can sleep in tomorrow. We won't start until ten, okay?”

“Excuse me? They're supposed to be up at six, ready to start by seven thirty,” Damian snapped.

Cassie folded her arms across her chest. The light from the Tower managed to glint sinisterly off her bracelets. “And you're supposed to finish exercises by nine unless there's an emergency. You went over on time, therefore they get more of a break before we put them back through their paces. Go get some rest, Shaytun. There's more to team building than combat training.”

“We can't continue to hope that our enemy will give us reprieve enough to-”

“I know, Shaytun. We've discussed this. And I'm stepping in as a peer leader right now for a reason. Your team needs to rest. This is non-negotiable, now _good night_.” Cassie turned on her heel and flew back up to the Tower.

Still grumbling under his breath, Damian went inside via the ground entrance and joined Lian, Jai, and Piper in the elevator. Lian was leaning heavily against the wall, eyes half lidded and holding her side, while Jai was examining a swollen finger. They both tried to look more alert when Damian stalked into the elevator and punched the button for the top floor.

It was a tense, silent ride up the excessive levels of the building. Damian once again seethed over the impractical design they'd been stuck with simply for the sake of tradition. The building was an eyesore, a target, and frankly terribly inconvenient for anyone on the team who lacked the ability to teleport, fly, or run at super speed.

They finally exited into the cold hallway of the main floor. Piper steered Jai over to the infirmary, immediately questioning him about his swollen finger. Lian turned a small smile on Damian that he struggled to return.

He was in a terrible mood, but it wasn't her fault. Still, he had a tendency to upset her when he was annoyed. His communication suffered, and he was misinterpreted by those around him more readily than usual.

“I know you think Cassie stepped on your toes, Dami. We were trying to tell you we were done but you weren't really listening to us. That's why she stepped in. And it is what she's here for, right? Like, as much as we're all still learning heroics, you're learning how to lead. Bart and Cassie are supposed to be showing you new things.”

“I understand the idea behind their presence, but I still feel they've fallen short on their aims.”

Lian smirked. “This is how surprised I am by that. Well, try to stay receptive. They've got a lot they can teach you.”

“I think I'm learning more from Nightwing, but I do accept that Flash and Wonder Girl have some expertise I can draw from. I do think they're being a bit complacent about the danger we're in.”

“Yeah...I hear you. Considering all the fuss that went down when we first formed the team, it's been too quiet for too long now.” Lian leaned against the wall again. She was still undoubtedly exhausted, but her eyes were alert. “Have you guys had any luck tracking down the Red Hood yet?”

Damian shook his head. “He's been quiet for a few years now. Father's not even certain he's still in Gotham.”

“Do you guys know if he's still alive?”

“I suppose we don't. I do feel that if someone had killed him, they'd have made it a point to get that message to Father in some manner.”

“Yeah, as long as they knew you guys were connected. Hm. Maybe we're wrong, and he's not involved.”

“Oh, I don't think he's connected to the crisis Hong's involved us in. But the fact that he's been manipulated by the al-Ghuls concerns me, and I believe he's worth tracking down. But it's Bat-Family business. We'll handle it.”

Lian shrugged. “If you say so. I guess I'll just continue worrying about any shenanigans that involve dead people and Lazarus Pits on my own time.”

Damian frowned, and gently touched her arm. “I wish you wouldn't worry. I researched and planned meticulously before I performed the ritual. Besides that, we've had you checked by every credible magic user in the League. You're fine, Lian. I promise.”

“Thanks, Dami. It's not really anything to do with you that makes me uneasy. Like, I know how fantastic and smart you are. I trust you. But there's still this weird unsettling feeling that comes from knowing that your, like, sort of adoptive brother was likely messed with from the same magic thing that brought us both back to life. I don't know if I think it's likely, exactly, but it still feels like it could affect me somehow. Like, weirder things have happened, y'know?”

“True enough. Well, I suppose we'd best be off to bed. I'll see you in the morning.”

“Good night.” She blew him a kiss just before turning into her bedroom. It cheered him momentarily, but the irritation from before returned almost immediately. Damian decided against heading directly to bed and instead went to the conference room, where, as expected, Flash and Wonder Girl were still awake, discussing the team.

Not only that, but Drake was with them. “What are you doing here?”

Tim rubbed at the bridge of his nose, dripping exasperation. “Alumni get to make use of the building, Damian.”

“Um, also we're your friends and you like seeing us…?” Bart prodded. Then he literally prodded Tim's shoulder until he looked up at him with a small smile.

“Yes, I'm also here for company.”

Bart nodded in satisfaction, and returned to his own seat. “So how goes it, Shaytun? I thought you'd be heading for bed right now. Didja wanna talk about the team or anything?”

He had, but not in front of Drake. Damian shook his head, and turned towards the doorway. “On second thought, I think I'll be better off retiring for the night. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“Told you he was pissy,” Cassie whispered, not quite as softly as she'd perhaps hoped. He involuntarily tensed, and grimaced, sure Drake had picked up on it.

He almost walked into Jai while he was heading for his room. Two of the boy's fingers were splinted and taped, and he reeked of antiseptic spray. “H-hey. You're still up?”

Damian nodded curtly. “Not for much longer. Why? Did you wish to speak to me?”

“Uh, not really. Just...um. Yeah, never mind. Oh wait, um. So tomorrow? I'm not going to be able to start in on training with the rest of the team until the evening session. Me and Piper are gonna work on the security system again.”

“Ah. Is it still the tech that Cyborg sent you, or has some Justice Leaguer sent along some other cumbersome leftovers?”

Jai laughed at that, and it was a surprisingly pleasant sound. “Oh good, someone else finally said it. I feel like I've just been showered with wires and gizmos since I started on this stuff. I thought you were going to be mad that I wasn't training. Because, like, I'm not slacking. It's just every time I make progress with the Tower, someone gives us something new and I gotta essentially start over again. Most of the shit we've been given doesn't work with the other tech until I do some tinkering with it.”

“I understand. I, for one, wish the other heroes would remember their promise not to meddle with our team unless absolutely necessary.”

“Right? Well, I mean really all the spare tech is a good thing. This Tower's going to be safer than any of the previous ones were once we're done with it. It'll be like a fortress. It's just kind of annoying sometimes. Anyway, uh...yeah. Better get to bed.”

“Jai, wait.” Damian hesitated, and ended up looking just above Jai's head when he spoke. If he tried to look Jai in the eye he'd never be able to say what needed to be said. He'd always found Jai's eyes particularly pleasant to look at. They were dangerously alluring for him.

“I've never thought you were slacking. You've been making lots of progress on learning to defend yourself. I by no means wish you to be complacent about the level of skill you've attained. You still have a long way to go before I'll be satisfied with you joining us in battle. But I appreciate the effort you're making.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Jai sounded flustered. Damian chanced a look at him and saw that not only was he blushing furiously, but he was fidgeting nervously with the tape on his fingers.

Without thinking, Damian covered Jai's hand with his own to still it. “Stop that. You'll have to retape them if you loosen it.”

Jai's lips parted to speak. His lovely green-gold eyes were very wide as he stared first at Damian's hand over his, and then at Damian's face.

He didn't end up saying anything.

“Jai, are you still awake?” Piper stepped out into the hallway from the infirmary, and the two teens quickly broke apart. Not fast enough, of course. The mentor had undoubtedly seen them standing uncomfortably close together, sharing a moment that could be misconstrued as tender.

“I'm clearly keeping you. Good night, West. Mr. Rathaway.” Damian strode into his own room without giving them a chance to reply, locked the door, and immediately began the cumbersome process of peeling himself out of his sweaty, clingy costume.

Fitting homage though it was to one of the most influential people in his life, Damian found himself regretting his choice in superhero costume. He might have to redesign it at some point, as he found himself desperately missing the Robin costume whenever it came time to change out of the ridiculously tight, unrelenting Shaytun bodysuit.

Once he extracted himself from the demonic fabric he rushed into the shower and sprayed his sore muscles down with scalding water. He tried not to think about what had just happened in the hallway with Jai.

Of course, he failed miserably.

Jai had looked very unlike himself as he'd been during the last painful months of their relationship. During that time he'd been cold, caustic, and willfully negligent of Damian's comfort and feelings. It had been a sharp contrast to the way he'd behaved when they'd first gotten to know each other. He'd been unsure of himself, but trying to mask it with this aura of confidence he'd never quite pulled off. Damian had liked him better when he'd let something of his vulnerability show. He'd liked when Jai admitted he had emotions, and when he was honest about them.

He didn't want to still be attracted to Jai, but apparently he was. This was...far from ideal. Jai had hurt him, deeply. He tried to remind himself of that, but there was no anger anymore to mask anything. Jai had played head games with him, and coerced him into sexual activities he'd later felt ashamed of. Grayson felt that Damian was a survivor of sexual assault and had wanted him to see a counselor about it. Damian wasn't quite convinced, however he did recognize that a lot of the agitation he'd felt during their relationship, and a lot of the negative feelings he'd experienced in the aftermath, constituted trauma. He was working on it.

It was probably normal to still feel attraction to someone who had abused you, and to want them to be safe. To try to keep them from harm, if it was within one's ability to do so. He certainly _needed_ to keep Jai safe, if he was going to be a responsible team leader.

But perhaps he ought not to be the one to train Jai. Dick was constantly telling him he needed to look out for his own well being, and that he would be an ineffective team leader if he didn't take care of his own needs. He'd communicated this through tiresome cliches and metaphors, but the overall message was sound. If Damian didn't feel he could handle being in close contact with someone who had hurt and manipulated him, he should delegate the task to someone else.

All this sounded perfectly reasonable and rational to Damian when he settled into bed, and still he was awake well into the early hours of the morning, trying to understand why it was he felt like he was failing his team.

* * *

The Teen Titans managed to get in even less training on Saturday than they had on Friday. It turned into one of those days where everything went completely wrong, and as moods frayed there was less and less of a chance of correcting course.

For starters, Damian was on edge. He was monosyllabic expect when he was chewing people out for getting their practice moves wrong. Billy kept making offhanded comments that got under his skin, which made him more short tempered, especially when it was pointed out to him that he shouldn't let Billy get to him (Lian stalked off with her hands in the air after giving up on that track).

X'hawn, picking up on the tension around him, grew more nervous and unsteady with his training. His aim with his energy bursts suffered when he got nervous. Damian got more short tempered and irritable with his backsliding on what had been some impressive progress, and he goaded X'hawn about his uneven performance. So, to prove that he could actually fight, X'hawn bit his lip and buckled down, determined to hit his target. He fired a perfect energy burst that, unfortunately, hit its mark with unexpected precision.

Its mark, in this case, was Shaytun, who wasn't expecting to actually have to get out of the way, as X'hawn had missed his mark by at least five or six feet the entire morning.

“Sh'Aal! Oh no! Oh Sh'Aal, oh Sh'Aal, oh Sh'Aal! Is he okay?” X'hawn flew in anxious laps above Damian, too scared to take a closer look at him.

Lian was at his side in an instant. “D-Dami?” She couldn't keep the wobble from her voice. “Damian, please, please be okay.”

“C-code names in the field, Speedy,” he ground out, though it sounded like it cost him something.

Billy let out a snort that wasn't quite derisive. Despite an attempt at posturing, he was clearly as relieved as everyone else to hear their leader speak. “Go figure. We're all scared half to death and he still feels the need to lecture.”

“Billy, shut up and help me get him to the infirmary.”

“I'm fine,” Damian insisted, though he very clearly wasn't. “The suit absorbed most of the blast. It's...it's what we build them to do.”

“You're still burned, and I'm guessing the force did a number on your body. We'll be lucky if there's no internal bleeding or broken bones. Billy, is it safe to teleport him?” Lian pressed.

“Safer than any of the alternatives.” Billy cast a significant look at Irey, who was dashing back and forth at super speed, torn between grabbing Damian herself or letting Billy handle it. Billy sighed, and then enveloped himself, Damian, and Lian in a blue light that brought them into the infirmary. He arranged it so that Damian landed on an open cot, Lian in a chair just next to him.

“Thank you, Billy. Can you tell Bart and Cassie what happened?”

“Sure thing.” Billy nodded at both of them, then left the infirmary.

Lian kicked her feet nervously. “I don't actually know what to do from here. I only know basic first aid.”

“You did fine. I imagine Wonder Girl will take over from here. Unless I'm mistaken, she has more medical training than Flash. I'm really not that badly hurt. Which is annoying. That blast should have been more powerful. I was under the impression X'hawn was giving it everything he had.”

Lian looked at him blankly. “Are you seriously mad that X'hawn didn't hurt you worse?”

“I possess no superpowers, which means I'm most certainly not invulnerable. I should have been either killed or very nearly killed. He's not as strong as I'd thought.”

“You are unbelievable sometimes. Well, _I'm_ glad you weren't killed or nearly killed.”

“And I appreciate that.”

Lian paused. It felt like they were having some sort of moment. Thankfully, Wonder Girl walked in before it could become an awkward one, and once she and Damian began the arduous process of peeling him out of his suit Lian felt it was time to depart. She caught a glimpse of spectacularly blooming bruises on Damian's torso before she managed to get her eyes to polite places and make her exit.

She poked her head into the conference room, and found Billy and Bart standing on either side of a distraught looking X'hawn, who was mumbling feebly about the accident. Billy was rubbing his back, and crooning gently that it wasn't his fault. Lian felt a pang of sympathy for her teammate, but ultimately decided to leave that one to the others. X'hawn was a nervous person. Having too many people try to calm him down at once would only work him up more.

With nothing better to do, she started for her bedroom and bumped into Irey on the way.

“How's Damian doing?”

“He's healthy enough to be infuriating, so y'know. I think he'll bounce back. Maybe not in time for tomorrow's training though.”

“Oh.” Irey bit her lip. “Is it horrible of me to be kinda relieved?”

Against her will, Lian snorted out a laugh. She immediately felt guilty about it. “Damian's a really talented fighter but uh...he's maybe not the best at breaking that down for the rest of us. Nah, I don't think it'll be a bad thing to have Bart and Cassie take the lead with us tomorrow. Actually, once X'hawn calms down and Damian's resting in bed, we might be able to resume tonight.”

“I don't think that's going to happen, chickie. A really bad thunderstorm just kicked up out of nowhere. If we were back home, I'd think it was a meta thing. It happened so suddenly and it wasn't in the forecast.”

“Hm. Maybe your boyfriend followed us here.”

Irey scoffed. “Josh is _not_ my boyfriend.”

“Thank goodness for that,” Lian muttered. Still, she walked to the end of the hall and peered out the window. It was indeed incredibly dark outside, and the wind was howling, causing tree branches to whip every which way. Damian likely would have kept them out in that, insisting that they needed to prepare for any eventuality, even dangerous weather.

Lian was not relieved he'd been seriously injured. She was definitely, in no shape way or form, happy about Damian's suffering.

“I suppose I should spend the night off doing homework. I'm a little behind on my social studies reading.”

“Said in a tone of voice that implies you're going to do something else entirely,” Irey said with a grin. “Want to hang out for a bit instead? We can gossip and do girly shit. It's been awhile.”

“Yeah, okay. Just let me change out of my costume first.”

About twenty minutes later, once they'd gotten the official okay from Cassie that they were done with Titans duty for the day, the girls were sitting cross legged on Lian's floor. They were each wearing comfy pajamas and cloth face masks. Lian was digging through her away bag looking at nail polish colors while Irey flipped through one of Lian's sketchbooks.

“These are really neat.”

“Thanks.”

“Why'd you design all the spare costumes though? Don't you like the one you have?”

“Yeah, I do.” Lian held up a bottle of glittery black nail polish and showed it to Irey. “How about this one?”

“I dunno if I can pull that off, Lian.”

“Shut up, of course you can. Look, just try it out and if you don't like it we can remove the color and start over. Now hold out your hand.”

Irey obediently spread her fingers out in front of Lian and let her start in on the manicure. “So what's up with the drawings? Are you just designing costumes for funsies?”

“I guess. I don't think I'm going to stick with my current look forever, y'know? It's, like, definitely a youthful hero look, which I thought Daddy would appreciate. But when I get a little older I want something less...” She shrugged. “Girly-girl, I guess. Trying to fight in a short skirt is weird. I don't know how Super Girl's kept it up for so long.”

“Her skirt confuses the bejeezus out of me. I mean, she's always flying around everywhere and everything, but no one's ever caught an up-skirt photo of her, and in every pic ever it's always flat against what little of her thighs it covers. I'm convinced she's got some of Super Boy's tactile telekinesis and she uses it to preserve her modesty.”

Lian giggled. “For all we know that's true.”

“Um, Li...d'ya think you could design a new costume for me?”

Lian looked up from the manicure. Her friend was regarding her with an earnest sort of worry. “A new costume?” She hadn't expected that at all. Irey was _legacy_. All the Kid Flashes had worn the same costume, ever since her dad had first decided to try something other than a complete Flash Jr. look.

“Yeah, I...I don't really feel comfortable in this one. Like, like I'm proud to wear it and everything but it's just...I look like a boy.”

“You do not.”

Irey frowned at her. “C'mon, Lian. I know you're my bestie and you think it's your job to cheer me up and all, but we can be real here. I look exactly like my dad when I have the cowl on. All you see is a tall, gangly kid with no chest and short red hair. I look completely like a boy.”

“I don't think so.”

“This isn't humoring me, Li. I don't need you to lie to me to make me feel better.”

“Irey, you do not look like a boy. You just...people have narrow views about what makes a boy and what makes a girl. So you're skinny and muscular. That doesn't make you a boy. And even if it did, I still don't think it'd be a problem because you're absolutely beautiful just the way you are.”

“Yeah. Well, I'm sure it's easy enough to feel that way about others when you're built like a playboy bunny. Are you done with that coat?” Without waiting for an answer, Irey climbed to her feet and started pacing.

Lian remained on the carpet, but gazed up at her, thoughtfully assessing Irey's body. She was very thin, with prominent muscles and narrow hips, but her shoulders weren't overly broad, and though her chest was small, it was still unmistakably feminine. Plus, there was a hard to define quality about the way she carried herself and spoke. Lian couldn't imagine mistaking her for a boy. But then, she was friends with a trans boy at school who was aggressively misgendered several times a day, so she knew that people could be really shitty about gender that wasn't performed precisely to their expectations.

And Irey was wearing a costume that had been designed with male bodies in mind.

“I'll see what I can come up with. But hon, think about it really carefully. A lot of the ways people design superhero costumes to make them look more feminine make them way less practical, and kind of demeaning too.”

“Yeah. But I trust you to do a better job than that. You're good with fashion stuff, Li. That's why I let you put goo on my face and paint my nails way darker than I think I want them.” She wiggled her fingers. “Also, you're totally right. This color's going to look really good with the new school clothes Mom just got me.”

“Ha. See, I'm really a meta. My secret superpower is a superior understanding of color.”

Irey laughed loudly, even though the joke wasn't that funny, and both girls were glad for the seeming normalcy of the night. It was a needed reprieve from the nervous energy that had been in the Tower since they'd realized they were at war with a hidden enemy.

Then a loud crash of thunder and violently brilliant burst of lightning hit something very near the Tower, if not the Tower itself. For a moment the bedroom was brightly illuminated, and then everything went dark as the power failed.

“What just happened?” Irey asked in a tremulous whisper.

“The storm must have damaged something.” Lian started groping around her room, looking for her costume. She had a flashlight somewhere in her belt. Irey beat her to it by lighting up the flashlight on her phone.

“It's not supposed to do that.” She pulled the face mask off and started wiping at her cheeks. Her face was very pale. “Jai and Uncle Piper put all this cool stuff in. If, if the regular power fails there's a backup generator and even another one besides that. A regular storm shouldn't shut the power off.”

Lian felt an unpleasant tightness in her stomach. “What does that mean?”

“It means we're under attack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So an interesting thing I'm running into while picking up a project that I've let sit for so very long: unsurprisingly, I've changed as a writer since I started this thing like...what, seven years ago? And even though I've always had a lot of major details about the story mapped out in advance, there's enough unknown that things have been surprising me as I write them. So yeah, the story is changing a bit on me.
> 
> Also, damn guys, there are so many straight people in this fic! I haven't worked with more than, like, token straight representation in ages. I'm not even sure I can convincingly write straight people anymore. Sorry if things get weird or the writing feels inconsistent. Hopefully it'll come across that I've changed for the better...? Anyway, love you all, thank you for reading the fic and saying such nice things to me about it. I've been very unpredictable about answering comments. Sometimes I feel like having a chat and sometimes I feel too overwhelmed to even be internet-social. But regardless of whether I answer the comments left on the fic or not, I do read them (several times over, usually) and I appreciate all of them <3 <3 <3


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans face another attack on their Tower. The team starts to itch against the older heroes coddling of them.

The girls ventured out into the corridor and immediately heard raised voices coming from the infirmary. Lian's stomach dropped, but then her good sense overrode her panic and she realized that Damian was probably just fighting with Cassie about what to do in response to the power outage.

That was indeed the case. Damian was trying to get out of bed and Cassie was pinning him in place. “You are injured and you are staying right there! I mean it, Shaytun. I have no intention of explaining your completely preventable, self-inflicted death to the Bat-Family so kindly _do not kill yourself_ while I am responsible for you.”

Lian tried to rush to his bedside and immediately whacked her shin on something. “Ow! Frickin' dammit!”

“Shouldn't some emergency lights or a backup generator have kicked in by now?” Cassie touched her lasso, and it brightened, bathing the room in an angry orange glow.

“That's what I was trying to tell you,” Damian said. “Even if the storm took out the power, it should have returned _immediately_ as one of the safety mechanisms kicked in. Someone has done this on purpose. We have an intruder and I need to investigate.”

“You need to stay in bed.” Cassie considered the teens and then sighed. “Speedy, stay with him. Kid Flash, go find Tech, stay with him, and see what you can do to get the power back on. I'll find the others and we'll search the Tower.”

“Kay. Last time I saw him, Jai was with Uncle Piper working on something in the control room. I'll check in with you when I find him.” Irey zipped out of the room in a blur of movement. Cassie threw a nervous look Damian and Lian's way, then exited the room, unfortunately taking the light of her lasso with her.

Lian turned on her cell phone flash light, found a chair, and pulled it up next to Damian's bed. At least he'd stopped trying to struggle his way out of it. He was sitting up in a position that likely wasn't good for his recent injuries, and anxiously tapping his fingers against the bedrail.

“Don't worry, Speedy.” Damian spoke in a low tone that was quiet, even for him, but it still startled Lian. She'd expected them to remain in an uncomfortable silence for at least a little while.

“I-I'm not worried,” Lian lied, fairly unconvincingly.

“Whatever is amiss, I'll keep you safe. I promise.”

“I believe you,” Lian said with a smile. “But I think you may have misunderstood what Wonder Girl was going for when she had me stay with you.”

“As you're uninjured, you're expected to protect me despite your status as an amateur hero?” At this point, Lian was far too used to Damian to be annoyed by his smirk. It didn't even sound that arrogant to her anymore.

She met his cocky expression with one of her own. “No. Since I'm a complete amateur and you don't trust me in combat, if you're stuck in a room with me you'll actually stay there. And Cassie wants you to stay in the infirmary.” Lian laughed at the look on his face. “I think the adults have noticed the way you hover over me whenever there's the least bit of danger. They're taking total advantage of it, Dami.”

“Shaytun.”

“C'mon, you're not even wearing your mask right now.”

Damian scowled, then snatched it off the nightstand and affixed it to his face. “I suppose I do hover quite a bit. It's not that I lack faith in your abilities. You're progressing admirably so far. I just...”

“Don't want me to get hurt. I know, I get it. It's kinda annoying sometimes but I know you don't really mean anything by it. We're cool.” Lian bit her lip, then looked at the door. She propped her cellphone up on the nightstand so that the light was facing towards the doorway, and gripped her bow more securely. “What do you think's going on?”

Damian inclined his head towards the window. “I'd say Jackam is the obvious answer, but having engaged in superheroics for most of my life I can also firmly state that the most obvious answer is not necessarily the correct one. It could be anything.”

“I don't think Josh would attack us though. Like, I wish it was just Josh. I'm not afraid of him. He's just an angry kid. Like, if circumstances were just a smidge different he'd probably be on the team with us. I wish I knew what was going on.”

“Mm.”

* * *

Irey was almost to the control room when she registered that she'd heard something odd in the stairwell. She doubled back to investigate, and found herself standing in one of the mostly ignored portions of the tower; one of the filler rooms necessary to give the building its distinctive T shape, but not at all useful and thus ignored.

It was perfectly quiet, and for a moment she was sure she'd imagined the pained gasp she'd thought she'd heard while running down the stairs. But then it happened again, and she was able to pick up some labored breathing.

“Is someone there?”

Her voice echoed a bit and it sounded weak and insufferable to her own ears. She took a deep breath, and took comfort in the Speed Force vibrating around her, giving her literal energy while forming her costume. She might have had some pretty mixed feelings about the costume in general, but whenever she felt unsure of herself the tangible connection to her family legacy always gave her confidence.

She was a seasoned hero in her own right. There was nothing to be afraid of, even if the Tower was excessively creepy with all the lights off.

“You sound...you sound like a...a white girl in a horror movie.”

“Josh?” Irey took a few more cautious steps into the room. “Where are you? What are you doing here?”

“Didn't you bring a light with you?”

“I...no. My cell phone is...what are you doing in the Tower? Are you the one that blew our power out?” She held her hands out in front of her, trying to follow the sound of his voice.

Then her boot hit something and she tripped. She righted herself in an instant, and in the crackle of the Speed Force she just managed to catch sight of Josh prone on the ground. She knelt at his side. “What happened to you? What's going on?”

He held up his hand, and some faint sparks emerged on his palm. They were little mini-lightning bolts, appearing and disappearing in quick succession. They were beautiful, and provided just enough light that she could see his upper body, where he'd propped himself against a wall. He was wearing his Downpour costume, and the costume top was soaked with blood.

Unsurprisingly, his face was drained of all color, and his eyes were half-lidded.

Irey let out a gasp, and immediately wrapped an arm around his back. “Oh my God, oh my God! Josh! Who did this to you? St-stop making the lightning. You're too weak. We don't need to see.”

“I want to see you though. S'why I came here. I...wanted to see you again. You're the only person who thought I was worth anything.”

Irey's eyes welled with tears. “Please don't. You're talking like you're going to die. Pl-please don't die.”

“Impulse, darling. You see what sort of shape I'm in. I'm clearly about to die.”

“But why? What happened? Who did this to you?”

“It doesn't matter anymo-”

“Josh, please-”

“I don't have time for this. I can tell that much. Impulse, before it's too late...please just let me speak. I'm sorry. I wish...wish I'd been better, pursued better things. Wish I'd been a Teen Titan with you instead of trying to follow my father's footsteps and be one of the Rogues. I wish I'd spent my life with you instead. You were always kind to me, and I never deserved it.”

“Josh,” she whimpered, and he weakly touched her face. She bit her lip to keep quiet after that.

“Please, before I die, can I see your face? I've...I just really want to see you.”

“Oh God, oh no. Josh, please don't die. I can get you to the infirmary. M-maybe it's not too late. We can-”

She shut up when he feebly pressed his hand to her face. He was clearly trying to touch her lips, but it was more of a swat. The lightning flickered out and they were in darkness again. “Impulse please. I don't...I don't even know what you look like and you're the...you're the only person I...” His voice broke off, and Irey was sure he'd died.

“Josh!” She hugged him close, and when his cheek was pressed against hers she could hear his weak breathing. “O-okay. I'll...I'll do it.” She closed her eyes, and with a bright flash the Speed Force reabsorbed her costume, leaving her once more in her pajamas and, most importantly, showing her face.

Josh called the lightning again, and his white lips curved in a weak smile. “Oh. I figured you'd be beautiful. You superheroes always are. But you're...you're stunning.”

Even though it really wasn't the time for it, Irey blushed. “I'm super awkward, really.”

“I think you're...you're really lovely.”

Her eyes swam with tears, and for a second she lost sight of his face, which was actually beautiful even when it was weak and wracked with pain. “Oh Josh, please don't go. I want to help you. There's gotta be something I can do.”

“I don't think there is. Goodbye, Impulse.”

“Iris. M-my name is Iris.”

“Iris.” He closed his eyes, and she held him as his breathing grew fainter and then stopped entirely. She held him for a long while after, for what seemed like hours, until she was roused from her grief by raised voices.

Irey looked up, and noticed in a distant sort of way that the lights were back on. She called her costume back, placed a gentle kiss on Josh's forehead, then lovingly lowered his body to the ground.

“I'm in here!” she called.

Bart skidded to a stop just in front of her and swore under his breath. He spoke into his comm, most likely to Wonder Girl based on the concise explanation he gave, then crouched next to her and touched her shoulder. “Let's go upstairs, Kid Flash.”

“I don't want to...” She reached over and clasped Josh's hand. It was still pliant, but already cold to the touch.

“Cassie will handle this part, Irey. She'll be respectful. I promise. But we gotta debrief. C'mon, cuz. I always look out for you.”

“I know. I...oh Bart, why did he have to die?”

Bart pulled her into a tight hug. “I wish I had an answer for you, bug. C'mon upstairs. I'll sit with you as long as you need, okay?”

“O-okay.”

Bart must have been feeling really bad for her. He hadn't called her bug (short for lightning bug), an old nickname from childhood, in _years_.

She briefly registered Cassie flying down the stairwell as they raced up it. Wonder Girl's face was set in a rigid expression, still very much in business mode.

Bart guided them to his own room, which was characteristically cluttered but somehow still incredibly cozy. Irey sat down in a soft armchair across from his bed and pulled a fleece blanket with little Flash logos on it around her shoulders. She flashed out of her costume back into her pajamas and Bart did the same.

“Piper got the security systems back online before he started working on the power, so that's why it took so long for the lights to come back. It looks like Josh blasted through the power lines and at least one generator. We're not sure how he got to the third power source around our security system though, or how he was able to get past it. Was he...was he alive when you found him?”

Irey nodded. She looked up, saw an overwhelming amount of pity in the kind yellow gaze trained on her, and then dropped her head. “He didn't tell me anything useful. It was personal. He came to say goodbye to me.”

“Oh, Irey...”

“I'm sorry, but I really can't be a good Kid Flash right now.” She jumped up from the chair and started pacing. “It's not fair. He wanted to be good and he never got the chance and now he's gone. I didn't even get the chance to save him! Bart, I don't want you to see me like this. Can I, can I just go home? I want my mom.”

Bart tried to touch her shoulder but she shrugged away from him. She'd hero-worshipped her big cousin for as long as she could remember, and had patterned her entire career after him. She really didn't want him to see her sobbing like a useless wreck.

“I think that's fair, yeah. Since the Tower's been breached we're considering sending everyone home anyway. But Irey, before you take off...can I give you a hug?”

Irey wiped at her eyes, and then nodded.

He may have been her biggest hero, but Bart was still her cousin, after all.

* * *

Bart watched Irey leave the Tower, heart aching for the girl and wishing with all his being that this team could catch a break. Death and heartbreak was definitely a part of superheroics, and he'd expected this new incarnation of the Titans to have a fair share of it. But he'd also figured they'd get in a few actual missions by now that would end in enough success to keep their morale up.

He understood why Damian wanted the team trained to perfection before they went out in the field. They had three members with no powers, and more of them were amateurs than not. But if they just sat around waiting to be attacked they were going to burn out before they'd started.

He dutifully reported to the infirmary and leaned against the wall by Damian's bed, waiting for Cassie. He expected her to be a bit, but she joined them after only a few more minutes.

“I called for help,” she explained. “Downpour's body has suspicious injuries. I want an actual autopsy by someone who knows what they're doing.”

“So not a ritual dagger then?” Damian said. “And no conspicuous notes indicating further victims?”

Cassie shook her head. “It doesn't seem at all connected to the previous murders. But who knows? In this case, we can assume Kid Flash was the intended target.”

“KF said Downpour came here to say goodbye to her,” Bart said. “He might not have gotten the fatal blow on our property. It could have been anything. I dunno, guys. I think Jackam went out the same way as his dad, in that we're not going to get any satisfying answers out of it.”

Cassie frowned, and nodded. “Yeah, you're probably right. Well, League alumni will be showing up shortly to examine the body and help us secure the Tower. I'm still in favor of sending everyone home for the weekend. Kid Flash already left, right?”

Bart nodded, and lost the fight to retain any sort of professional demeanor. “Sh-she asked for her mom, Cass.”

“Flash...as bad as I do feel for your cousin right now, and I promise you, I do...I think we need to talk to her later about her relationship with this kid. He was a supervillain. He's attacked you guys more than once. Did you know she was this close to him?”

Bart shook his head. “I could tell she had a crush on him but I'd always thought it was superficial. I guess it was deeper than I noticed.”

“Yeah, seems it.” Cassie pressed her lips together. “Okay, so we definitely need to talk to the kids about this. Without judgment, of course. It's completely a thing for heroes to be attracted to metas on the other side. I mean obviously. More people on the team than not have supervillains for relatives. But in light of that...we have to make sure everyone's on their guard so that their feelings don't get manipulated.”

“But we want them to stay open to helping people who could reform,” Bart put in quickly, thinking of his own fiancee and the problems she'd had with the hero community thanks to her messy past. Even though Rose Wilson had been drugged by her father and had her consent thoroughly violated during her stint of supervillainy, there were still heroes who treated her like she might turn at any moment, just because she was Deathstroke's daughter.

He tried very hard to ignore the fact that Cassie was one of them. In order to retain his friendship with one of his closest, oldest buddies, he often had to pretend he was single when he was around her and try to forget about his fiancee entirely. Keeping Rose and Cassie in his thoughts at the same time wasn't conducive to rationality and healthy emotions.

Cassie picked up on the fact that she'd strayed near a sore subject and returned to business. “Okay, so are we in agreement on sending everyone home early while we check security on the Tower?”

She waited for Damian and Bart both to give their terse nods. “Shaytun, what do you want to do? You're welcome to stay on and help us brief the Leaguers who respond and oversee things, but I also think it'd be a good idea for you to go home to convalesce and look after your teammates.”

“My teammates?”

“Your father opened his house to anyone who doesn't want to go right home,” Bart explained. “Burst and Speedy are going there, and Nightwing's picking Speedy up tomorrow morning. We're going to suggest Billy spend the night too, since y'know, he lives in the Tower and we want the Tower clear of kids while we're checking it over.” He paused as something occurred to him. “Has anyone seen Billy since things started going down?”

“I haven't seen Hong since Burst shot me in the chest,” Damian said coolly.

Bart traded a look with Cassie, then started for the doorway. Billy must have noticed the power going out. It seemed unlike him, not to check in. “I'll go knock on his door, I guess.”

“Please do,” Damian said.

Bart zipped down the hall to Billy's room and rapped on the door. He realized he'd done it at superspeed when Billy opened the door in an obvious panic, emitting a protective blue glow. His eyes landed on Bart and he took down his shield. “Can you speedsters work on controlling yourselves? I thought that was gunfire.”

“And you charged right at it?” Bart asked with a grin. “Must be nice to have vaguely defined god powers. I mean, I charge at gunfire all the time but I'm also faster than the bullets.”

“Flash, it's nearly midnight. Is there a reason you came to see me?”

“Uh...yeah. For starters, the Tower got broken into tonight. Everyone else came running and you were conspicuously absent.”

Billy's eyes widened slightly, but otherwise his face remained impassive. “I was meditating. Perhaps too deeply, it seems. Is everyone okay?”

Bart caught him up to speed, stepping into Billy's room and shutting the door behind him as he spoke. Once he was inside he could easily understand how Billy had missed the excitement. He had incredibly heavy drapes covering all his windows, the room itself was lit by candlelight as opposed to the electric lights (meaning he never would have noticed the power going out), and he seemed to have some sort of noise-diminishing spell in place. The room was quiet, meditative, and perfectly isolated from the rest of the building.

“So yeah, anyway, we want you kids to clear out at least for the night while the League checks things over. Batman offered to host anyone who wants to go at his place. Speedy and Burst are packing up, and Wonder Girl's going to drop them off in a bit. We'd like you to go with them, but if you'd rather not we can come up with something else.”

“What about Iris? Is she...she must be upset.”

“KF went back to Keystone. I'll let her know you were thinking about her, but don't worry too much. We'll all look after her.”

Billy nodded, then slowly turned and went to pace in front of one of his massive bookcases. “I suppose I ought to join the others. I'll pack a bag.”

“Cool beans. I'll let Wonder Girl know you're coming. Oh, and if there's any way you can, like, set some sort of magical alarm so you don't miss it when the building's under attack...”

“Trust me, Flash. This won't happen again.”

Bart nodded in satisfaction, and dashed back to the infirmary.

* * *

It was amusing, Lian thought, to watch Bruce Wayne ineptly attempt to fuss over his injured son with no real idea how to appropriately convey what he was feeling while, simultaneously, Damian attempted to assert his independence and try to project to everyone around him that he needed no assistance whatsoever. She was overcome with an increased appreciation for everything the emotionally constipated Wayne men put Dick Grayson through, and decided she was going to give him a big hug when she saw him in the morning.

Somehow they managed to get Damian comfortably set up in the den. He was resting on one of the sofas, wearing pajamas and with a table of medical supplies handy for changing bandages and cleaning his burns. Alfred had made up a bed for Lian on the other sofa in the room, and there were cushy sleeping bags on the floor for Billy and X'hawn. The team had decided unanimously that, though there were a ridiculous amount of guest rooms in the stately manor, they were going to camp out in one room together.

“So do you guys have a lot of sleepovers?” Lian joked, knowing full well the answer was a firm no. “I feel like we should be making a blanket fort.”

“What's that?” X'hawn asked.

“What it sounds like. You move furniture around and make a little tent with blankets. Me and Daddy used to set them up on our Daddy-Daughter days, and we'd get pizza and watch movies together until I fell asleep. Um...I'm guessing you guys want to talk about the team instead though.”

“That seems the sensible option,” Billy said.

X'hawn sat down on his sleeping bag and lowered his gaze to his folded hands. “I can't tell if this is just me being, like, needlessly depressing or whatever but I feel like such a failure. Like, we can't do anything right. All we do is get attacked and then people die. When does the part where we feel like heroes happen?”

“All superhero teams have a higher rate of failure than they like to admit,” Damian said. “Despite appearances we are doing no better or worse than the previous incarnations of the team. We've actually had some successes, though they might not appear of much consequence with yet another death on our property. Given time, our triumphs will compete with these seeming failures.”

Billy nodded. “I agree with you. Even though, in light of their personal nature, I can't help but feel the murders on our property as the responsibility of our team, I do know they're not actually our fault. There was nothing we could have done for my mother. Neron was determined to kill her, and so she died. Same with Ms. Fox.”

X'hawn slumped over a little lower at the mention of his deceased friend.

“I wanted to ask you guys something.” Lian glanced around the room and took a deep breath. “Does it feel kinda like the rest of the heroes don't really want us to fight? Like, like they set us up with this team to appease us and are using it to keep us on the sidelines? I mean, we never go out and like, patrol and we've only actually gone after supervillains once. I know we needed to train and all that jazz, but we've been doing that for months. We're never going to get experience if we don't go out there and start taking on cases. I just keep feeling like they're sticking us in that Tower to babysit us. I mean, we should probably be there investigating the break in ourselves, not letting the League do it for us.”

“Tech's still there,” X'hawn said.

“But Piper is doing the real work for him,” Damian said. He nodded towards Lian. “Your assessment is a bit hyperbolic, but not entirely wrong. The other heroes wish us to be cautious, and not simply because of our actual status and abilities. Since the first incarnation of this team was formed things have only gotten more dangerous. They wish us to be trained and prepared, and that is the primary reason we were granted permission to form the team.”

“So it is more for training than action?” Billy narrowed his eyes in dislike. “I think we need to have a word with the Justice League. Meshta has given me the impression we're going to be in the thick of things when Neron attacks.”

“Even aside from your personal enemy, I've noticed that Titans teams tend to wind up in the thick of things in general,” Damian said. “Training and safety was the primary reason the Justice League and assorted alumni gave their consent to our forming this team, but that was never my primary motivation and I know it was not any of yours. We're here to help people. That's what we're going to do.”

“So...so you guys aren't going to treat me like the rest of the League, right?” Lian whispered.

“What do you mean?” Damian asked, in a tone that was, for him at least, gentle.

“Like...like you're just waiting for me to die again. I'm sick of being treated like a casualty waiting to happen. I'm a legacy kid. I know what I'm getting myself into, and I actually think I'm getting pretty good at this stuff. I'd like a chance to prove to everyone what I'm capable of.”

Damian held her gaze with a look of steely determination. He looked so calm and sure of herself. She wished she had his steady nerves. “You will. We all will. We're going to show them.”

“Hey, look at that,” Billy said with a small smile. “Me and Shaytun finally agree about something.”

Lian and X'hawn laughed, and from there the conversation turned lighter. Lian talked the boys into putting on a movie, and even though she didn't quite pull off getting them to share her passion for animation, they all enjoyed her commentary on the cartoons she put on.

Bruce went to check on them around three, figuring that even with the night's excitement, he probably should try to convince them to get some rest if they weren't already asleep. He found them all sleeping peacefully with the television displaying the 'is anyone still watching' screen. Bruce switched off the television, then stood over his son for a minute, pleased beyond words at the simple gathering of teenagers doing something harmlessly normal like falling asleep to children's cartoons.

He'd just ignore the fact that it had come as a result of their superhero fortress being invaded in the dead of night under mysterious circumstances, and that Damian's first sleepover had happened at age eighteen. This was probably as close to a normal sleepover as the kid was going to get, and he'd take his victories where he could find them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bruce had only thought he'd seen Billy asleep in his sleeping bag as the result of a spectral double the teen had cast before wandering out into the extensive grounds of the manor. Fittingly enough, he found his way to the long abandoned bonfire pit that Dick Grayson and Roy Harper used to meet up at when they were teenagers. Something about the secluded nook proved attractive to teens sneaking away from their authority figures.

Billy sat down on one of the stones, rested his forehead against his knees, and silently called out to his father. He sat up when he felt the flash of green light against his eyelids, and then turned a look of despair on his father's ghostly form. “Did Josh Jackam arrive in your hell realm tonight?”

“If he did, I haven't caught wind of it just yet. I'll check in with Mark. I'm sure he's keeping tabs on his kid as best he can. Why...what happened this time?”

“I'm not entirely certain. I think I've already failed in my attempt to keep my teammates safe, though. Jackam died at the Tower tonight, and I think...I think he did it to ally himself with Neron.”

James let out a low whistle. “Goody. The unstable weather witch decided to join up with the demon king. That's just...all kinds of spiffy. Bill, you sure about this?”

“No. I just have one of those nagging feelings I can't get rid of.”

“Ah. With you magic types, that might as well be a certainty. Okay. Well, I'll get my ass back to Hell and see if I can scare up some intel for you.”

“Okay. Um. Before you go...can we just...”

James positioned himself so that he appeared to be sitting down next to Billy. “Yeah, I can sit with you for a bit.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...if it isn't insanely obvious already, I'm much better with like, character relationships and emotional drama than I am with big dramatic superhero Crisis style events. I am trying my best to work a conventional superhero big bad type action story into this fic, but please be patient with me as this is definitely outside my comfort zone. I can tell the pacing is shit.
> 
> Of course, the pacing will continue to be shit because when I have the opportunity to veer away from the conventional superhero stuff into more emotional drama I am most definitely going for that detour :P


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Irey frets over her lack of lightning rod. The former Robins spend some time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ends unpleasantly so please plan accordingly when you read it.

Dick was away from Keystone for most of the following week. Apparently they'd gotten a few possible leads on Jason Todd's whereabouts, and all the Bats had been yanked in to investigate. Roy volunteered to tag along but as sadly happened whenever he volunteered his aid to other heroes these days, he was told they'd be fine without him.

He knew Dick didn't mean it the same way the Flashes did. And he understood, possibly better than anyone else outside the Bat-Family, that they were an exceptionally private bunch that tried not to take help from other heroes unless circumstances forced it on them. He got it. But it still kinda hurt and it put him in a pissy mood.

It wouldn't have stung quite so much if Lian needed some parental type interactions, but that was one self-sufficient teenager he'd raised. She was ahead on all of her homework and, after glancing it over, he doubted he could have helped her even if she'd needed it. And when she wasn't busy with school work, she was out with friends or doing extracurricular activities. He even tried asking her if she wanted to do some training but she refused, saying she needed a break between Titans meet-ups.

So, feeling needy and very self-conscious about it, Roy found himself standing on the doorstep of what felt like the only person in Keystone City who wanted to be around him. He knocked on the door, and barely a second later Piper opened it, looking flustered.

He had a sweatshirt on, and it looked like he might have actually brushed his hair before pulling it back in its habitual ponytail. The guy was clearly heading out. Roy's heart sank, and he realized how much he'd been hanging on this “casual” visit. “Hey, I uh...was wondering if you wanted to chill and listen to records or something.”

“Oh. Oh, I'd love to Roy, but I've already promised to head over to the West house tonight. Irey asked to spend some time with me, and all things considered...I should probably be spending that time with my goddaughter right now.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that's fair. Okay. See you around then.” Roy could feel how fake and grimace-like his smile came out. He turned around and started back towards his house.

“Wait. Roy, if you wanted to you could come with me. I'm sure the Wests won't mind. You're a family friend too, right?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

Piper was visibly confused, which confused Roy in turn. “Doesn't...Wally talk shit about me?”

“Um...” Piper shrugged. “A little, I guess. Wait, do the two of you actually mean it when you're insulting each other? I'd thought you were friends. You've been on all those superhero teams together.”

“Uh...” Roy had always assumed the discomfort he felt around Wally was completely mutual, and had expected the guy to be trashing him like crazy behind his back. It's definitely how their dynamic had worked when they'd been teenagers. Maybe he'd actually grown up a bit though. It was pretty stupid, really, that they'd been keeping their petty rivalry going all these years. Especially since their kids were friends. They really needed to get over it.

And if Wally hadn't been talking nonstop shit about Roy to his bestie, maybe that was a sign he was ready to do so.

“Eh, I'll tag along with you then. But if it is a private family thing I'll head out. We can hang out some other time.”

“All right then.”

The walk over to Wally's house was fairly short. They were greeted at the door by Linda, who was pleasant and charming to Roy as per her usual. He'd always gotten along with Linda, and when they needed to talk about the kids she was the parent he tried to get ahold of. Wally was always his last resort.

Damn, maybe this thing had been one-sided.

“It's nice to see you, Roy. Is Lian coming by too?”

“Nah, she's out with...shit, I think it's the debate team this time? Either that or she's got theater rehearsal. I keep mixing up which day is which.”

“You're lucky. I wish I could get my kids interested in extracurriculars. They look so good on college applications. And besides that, I'd have a reliable source on where Jai actually was half the time.” Linda laughed self-deprecatingly and rolled her eyes.

Roy frowned at Piper as they followed her into the living room. He'd thought Jai's behavior problems were still on the list of sensitive subjects to tip-toe around, not fodder for dark banter. Piper shrugged at him and didn't say anything.

Wally, Bart, and Irey were all caught up in a Mario Kart race when they walked in. Roy smirked at them. “You all have super speed. How in the hell does video game racing hold your interest?”

“Our petty drive for competitive dominance,” Bart said, then swore loudly. “Who threw that blue shell at me?”

“Eat my dust, cuz!” Irey's character swooped past Bart's, along with quite a few little cartoon racers. “Woo hoo! I whooped your butt seven times tonight. I am unquestionably the champion!”

“Yeah, well, if your dad had been playing fair I would have won three of those games. He was sabotaging me so you'd win.”

“I did no such thing,” Wally lied, rather blatantly as he switched off the game. “But if I was sabotaging you on Irey's behalf, it'd only be payback for all those games Joan Garrick made me throw back when you were a kid.”

Bart gaped at Wally, and he actually looked a bit wounded. “I beat you fair and square.”

“You may have grown up in a video game like environment, but you'd never actually seen a Nintendo in your life up until that point. There is actually a learning curve, Bart. Joan always made me let you win.”

“If it helps, you beat me and Linda legitimately,” Piper said. He sat down on the end of the couch next to Irey, leaving Roy to hover awkwardly in the doorway. “So princess, what did you want to do tonight?”

“I was hoping we could take a drive and listen to some music and talk. You know, kinda like what you do with Jai but just like...like with me for once?”

Piper cast a quick glance at Roy, who tried to remain neutral even though he really didn't like the idea of being left at the house without Piper. Well, he'd still have Linda to buffer, and Bart was usually chipper and fun. And the teenager really did come first in this situation. He was a little shaky on the details, but he knew that Irey had come out of the most recent Titans meeting with some trauma from a supervillain death. She needed emotional support and Piper was the one she wanted for it.

So Roy forced a smile and Piper and Irey left shortly thereafter. Bart flopped onto the open spot they'd left on the couch and started scrolling through his phone, while Linda and Wally started talking about food to get delivered. Roy contemplated making his own exit, but then Wally looked up at him and asked what he wanted.

“Bart'll eat anything so you need to be our tie breaker. Pad Thai or pizza.”

“Keeping in mind that the nearest Pad Thai restaurant is disgusting and Wally's gotten food poisoning the last three times he's eaten there,” Linda said.

Roy quirked an eyebrow. “Why are we having this conversation then?”

“Because I'm due for a food poisoning free night.”

“That's what you said last time!”

“Their fish sauce is delicious.”

“And possibly rancid.”

“Come on, Linda. You know you love noodles and fish sauce.”

“Not when I have to listen to you whine until it's out of your system! Which, granted, is faster than most thanks to the super speed, but you're still a baby about it. And you do it to yourself. Every. Time.”

“I'm voting for pizza,” Roy said, hoping to cut the argument short. “Wait. Um. I'm not staying. I'll just wait for Piper at my place. You guys, uh...have fun.”

“You and Hartley have plans again?” Linda looked at him with a smile. “You might as well wait for him here. Unless you have to go take care of the dog or something.”

It probably wasn't actually a great idea to leave Arrow Dog alone at the house for an extended period of time. But he was also kinda curious about this new idea he had, that Wally didn't hate him and he'd been reading too much into their interactions. This seemed like a good opportunity to investigate.

The offer to stay seemed pretty genuine.

“So what kind of pizza were you guys thinking?”

* * *

Irey scrolled through Piper's music until she found a folksy playlist she knew she liked, and once she'd popped the device back in the cup holder she realized she didn't have anything to do with her hands. She'd enjoyed the walk from her house to Piper's to get his car, but now that they were actually driving around she felt jittery, like she needed a run.

Hm. Maybe this sort of emotional exchange really was better suited to her brother. Sometimes she envied Jai losing his connection to the Speed Force. He always seemed fairly mellow and chill. He could wait. He could be patient. He didn't feel like he was going to vibrate out of his skin if he stopped moving.

She wanted to go on a run with her dad, but they'd been on like twelve runs and she still didn't feel any better. And it's not like she hadn't talked things over with Wally. When they stopped to get ice cream or admire a nice view, she'd opened up about what happened. She'd been scared, at first, to admit how deeply her feelings for a supervillain had developed, but to her surprise no one was judging her for it. It was being treated like a superhero right of passage, or something. Apparently everyone fell in love with a supervillain at least once.

“At least you didn't help make him,” Wally had said, offering her a self-deprecating smile before launching into the horrifying story of his adolescent relationship with Magenta. “You can get mixed up in a lot of stupid things when you're a kid with powers, Irey. And with Uncle Barry dead for all those years, I didn't really have anyone looking out for me or checking in on my moral compass until I met your mom and Piper. They knocked me into shape, but until then I was on my own and I was...not great with my decision making. I guess that's what I'm trying to ramble my way to here. You're not alone. You've got all these great people looking out for you. You've got four Flashes to choose from, and your mom is practically a saint, and Aunt Iris is like the best ear I could ever imagine, and your godparents are two of the best, most compassionate people I know. You've got help, and you don't have to feel ashamed of yourself if you feel like you're being tempted into some bad choices. We've all been there. We'll help you keep to the path you want to be on, okay kiddo?”

It was one of the better talks she'd ever had with her dad. All the fear and dread she'd been carrying with her loosened up, because she'd been sure her family would reject her over her feelings for Josh.

So now she was trying to follow her dad's advice. She knew he thought highly of Piper's judgment (Piper himself did not, but that was another story). Wally frequently told self-deprecating stories about when he'd first started fighting crime as the Flash, and he kept bumping into Piper doing social activist work from the wrong side of the law. Piper's sense of moral fortitude had been fully in development, but he'd still been perceived as a supervillain because his solutions to problems were needlessly criminal (“Why are you breaking into those buildings to fix them up for squatters? Your family is loaded. You could just buy them and turn them into shelters.” “Um...there is no ethical consumption under capitalism?”) Meanwhile, all Wally had known of heroics at the time involved literal fighting. They'd helped each other, and Wally had raised both his kids with a lot of respect for the friend that had taught him to see shades of gray instead of just good versus evil.

Irey stared out the window for a few minutes, watching the familiar landmarks of Keystone City go by at a pace that felt like slow motion to her, and then, before she was aware of getting any of her thoughts in order, finally gave voice to the thing about her recent loss that had been scaring her the most. “Uncle Piper, do you think I'll ever find my lightning rod?”

Piper was slow in answering, and when he did his voice carried a hesitant tone that she wasn't used to hearing from him. “What do you mean?”

“You know, that person that...that you love so much you can always find yourself again because you can find them. The one that saves you from Terminal Velocity. Mom is Dad's lightning rod, and Aunt Iris is Uncle Barry's, and Rose is Bart's, and Mrs. Garrick is Mr. Garrick's. But I don't have a lightning rod. And I'm getting faster.” She felt tears prick at her eyes and quickly lowered her head, ashamed that she was crying, yet again, and even more ashamed that she wasn't actually crying over Josh.

She was actually devastated that Josh had died. But she was also scared for herself, and it was disgustingly selfish of her.

“Irey...you're sixteen years old. I don't think you need to concern yourself with finding your one true love.”

“It's different for me, though. I mean...I mean okay, so you're single and all and you're happy with the way things are, but it doesn't...like...you won't die from being alone. M-my powers could kill me. They're going to kill me. I have twice as much Speed Force as I'm supposed to because I have Jai's too, and I'm already as fast as Bart and Dad. I'll be faster than Uncle Barry soon. And-and Damian wants me to get even faster because he wants us all to be our best, but I'm so scared. What if I hit Terminal Velocity before I can find someone to bring me back?”

“Did you...did you think Josh was your lightning rod?” Piper's voice was gentle, but it was pretty obvious how concerning he found that possibility to be.

“Well, no. But I thought he could...could become one. Like...he was just so easy to talk to. And he liked me. N-no one ever...” Irey's voice gave way, and she went back to resolutely staring out the window.

“Irey...I can't begin to fathom what you're going through right now. I know it's quite different from my own situation, of getting older and still being alone. This...isn't really what I'd wanted. When I was your age, I never had problems finding dates despite being closeted from some extraordinarily unsupportive parents. As I got older and my life grew more complicated, I found myself settling for partners that I knew weren't very good for me. I even tried to marry one of them. Um, what I'm trying to get at here is that...the fear of being alone can be self-fulfilling. If you cling to a relationship just for the sake of being in one, you have the potential to lose out on something really good. Just because Josh was there and appeared interested doesn't mean he was going to become your lightning rod. He was very troubled, and I don't know that he wanted to be saved.”

“Yeah, I guess that's true. If I had really gone after Josh and focused just on him I could have missed out on a real relationship,” she mumbled, without believing it at all. It's not like there were boys breaking down the door to be with her. She wasn't overwhelmed with choice. It seemed like every boy she met that she thought she could develop feelings for fell madly in love with her best friend, or worse, her brother.

“Well...there's also the possibility that your lightning rod doesn't have to be a romantic relationship. You love a lot of people, Irey. Even if you were to start to fade into the Speed Force and had trouble finding your way out again, I'm fairly certain your father and the other speedsters would go in looking for you. Being single in my forties isn't something I'd wanted out of life, but I'm not despairing either because I have such good friends. I'm not lonely. In fact, this is the least lonely I've ever been. I know the Speed Force throws some complications into this for you, but I'm fairly certain familial love is just as strong as romantic love. And I'm positive that you'll be better at flirting if you can approach it with less fear.”

Irey slowly nodded. “No one likes the desperate chick who can't stop fidgeting.”

Piper sighed. “Something like that. Irey, please take some time to reflect on what I'm saying. This notion that you need to be in a relationship or you're somehow incomplete...it's not a good head space to be in. It makes you vulnerable in a very painful way. You're sixteen. You've got a very long way to go, here. You're much better off being able to stand on your own feet before you find a partner.”

Well that was easy for someone who wasn't going to run themselves out of existence if they couldn't get a date to say.

* * *

It was odd how easily compartmentalized Damian's identities and cares were becoming. While in the presence of his team, he'd been entirely absorbed by the disturbing manner of Downpour's death, and their continuing lack of progress in confronting Neron's attacks on their loved ones. But as soon as the Titan's weekend finished, his focus was back on his father's current objective of obsession, which was tracking down Jason Todd and learning if his resurrection had been...questionable.

Damian continued to feel frustrated that this was even an issue. As soon as he'd learned that his maternal family had had any kind of hand in bringing Todd back, he considered it a certainty that something malevolent had occurred. And yet, when he'd resurrected Lian Harper in a perfectly controlled and responsible manner, half the Justice League had been called in to check his work.

Was he really less trustworthy than the al-Ghuls to his father?

Bruce was being his usual less than communicative self, so Damian was getting most of his intel on Todd from Dick. As chatty as Dick was, his knowledge on Todd was fairly limited. He'd barely been speaking to Bruce and Alfred when Jason was brought into the fold, and had barely interacted with him before he'd been murdered by the Joker. He did insist, though, that there was an obvious personality difference before and after his death.

“So he was changed?” Damian pressed, trying once more to keep Dick on point.

“Well...I'm probably not the best person to judge on this. I always thought he was an obnoxious snot. He was just...a different kind of snot, I guess. I dunno. He was a brat, but there was still...look, your dad wouldn't have taken him in if he wasn't at heart a good kid. Bruce is weird about a lot of social things, but his sense of character is pretty spot-on.”

Damian snorted, because he was pretty sure Bruce's romantic history refuted that claim.

“I didn't meet him until after he'd died,” Tim said.

“No one asked you.”

“Damian,” Dick snapped, as though he were the one injecting useless information into the conversation. Drake's entire presence was redundant, as far as Damian was concerned.

He'd already been yelled at for pointing that out though.

The three of them were on a short trip to Salem, Massachusetts to scout out a lead Zatanna had dug up for them. Bruce was checking out Providence, Rhode Island. He'd been afforded the privilege of solo work, whereas Damian was stuck with dead weight and a naggy wannabe older brother. Whereas he usually didn't mind working with Dick, ever since the man had moved away he'd become insufferably needy, even considering his usual levels of clinginess.

If Damian had to guess, he'd say that Harper wasn't giving Dick enough attention. And whereas he was completely ready to be proven right in regards to their relationship being terrible, he wasn't enjoying the effects of his accurate prediction.

“This city is abhorrent,” Damian said, sneering at a group of people posing for pictures in tacky costumes in front of a memorial to their peoples' historic slain innocents.

“I was going to argue with you out of habit, but a woman just walked by us in a Puritan costume with a noose necklace so actually I think we're in agreement for once.” Tim looked more melancholy than judgmental about the whole thing. It was weird to be in sympathy with him over something.

Tim turned to Dick. “So did Zatanna give us more to go off of than just 'poke around HP Lovecraft's stomping grounds?'”

Dick smirked and shrugged. “Not much more than that, really. She said a weird energy has been collecting in certain spots recently. Gotham's actually one of the demonic hot-spots, but we've been over our home turf with a fine toothed comb and haven't come up with anything, so Jason could be in one of the other ones.”

“Do we know Zatanna's bad vibes actually have anything to do with him though?”

“Bruce said a tracer spell was involved too.”

“Okay then. So we're not completely stumbling in the dark.”

They continued down the dismal little street that was packed with groups of tourists, clustered around guides in all manner of ridiculous garb. Dick occasionally muttered corrections under his breath about the histories they were giving, which seemed to be an involuntary action on his part. Tim and Damian traded a look, but neither of them called attention to it.

They also noticed the way his eyes stuck longingly on a sign directing people down a walkway towards a museum. “The museum is most likely closed by this hour of night,” Damian said.

“I know...but it's got Peabody in the name. It's probably really cool.”

“We can always come back when we're not working,” Tim said. “Actually...I can't say I'd mind spending time with you guys that didn't involve the costume. I'm...um. Still adjusting to...yeah. Some family time would be nice.”

Dick bracingly rubbed Tim's back. “It'd be nice if grief got easier with more practice, but it always sucks. I'll happily take you on a distracting nerd day. Damian, you in?”

“Oh, was I included in that?”

Tim hesitated. “I suppose.” He could have sounded a bit more enthusiastic. Damian realized he was glaring in response when Dick fixed him with a disappointed expression.

“So, uh...since you have, like, the sorcery experience on us...any thoughts on where we should begin?” It took Damian a moment to realize Tim was addressing him.

“I'm not an expert in sorcery.”

“Wow. I never thought I'd see the day when Damian Wayne admitted he wasn't the utmost authority on a subject.”

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is going to be the entire night, isn't it?”

“Most likely,” Tim returned with false cheer.

“I acquainted myself with the requisite magical skill to accomplish a purpose. My knowledge of sorcery beyond its association with resurrection is the same as any of the rest of us. I learned enough to get a specific thing done, and I did so with precision and perfection.” Which he'd thought was fairly obvious. Hadn't anyone noticed that he'd refrained from engaging in sorcery after accomplishing Lian's resurrection? Sometimes it felt like he'd never figure out the secret of competently communicating with these people.

Dick shoved his hands in his pockets and started up the walkway that was pointing towards the museum. Damian and Tim hurried to follow after him, Damian blurting out reminders that the museum wasn't open and, besides that, it wasn't their purpose in being there.

“Look, guys. Maybe we should split up. We can...cover more ground. Something.”

Tim frowned. “So are we just going to stumble around the city blindly hoping we find something? I mean, if that's the case, why don't I give Cass and Conner a call and see if one of them can come out. At least with their superpowers they can hurry things along for us.”

“Bruce doesn't want us yanking other people in on this one unless we can't avoid it, remember?”

“Personally, I think the fact that we're here almost guarantees that Providence was the more encouraging lead,” Damian said, and somehow commanded the full attention of his companions. “What? It's fairly obvious that father wants to be the one to find Todd first.”

“I know,” Dick said. “I just wasn't aware you'd picked up on that. You do know that this is...uh...kind of a sore subject for your dad, right?”

Tim muttered something that sounded suspiciously like open wound, and Dick gave him a light smack on the arm.

“I've noticed,” Damian said coolly. “Just because I don't partake in your ridiculous emotional displays doesn't mean I don't understand how emotions work.” And, frankly, his father's signals were a lot easier for him to read than most people's. He knew Jason's death, resurrection, and subsequent violent activities were a source of trauma and pain for his father. Anyone who considered themselves even mildly acquainted with the Batman could see that, and Damian was much closer than mildly acquainted with his father.

Even if most people didn't seem to realize that.

“Look, guys...since we're in general agreement that we're probably not the ones who are going to find Jason anyway, maybe we're better off just, like, getting drinks or something. I don't even know what it is we're supposed to be doing here. We don't have any contacts or anything more specific than a city with dark energy, and apparently Damian has not been studying sorcery, so...”

“I think you've been on reserve for too long. We'll make our own leads.”

“Damian, that's...” Dick paused and took a breath. “You're welcome to keep investigating if you want, Damian. In the meantime, the first round is going to be on me.”

Tim took out his phone, and a moment later he was leading Dick in the direction of some bar. Damian firmly remained where he was, expecting Dick to come to his senses and focus back in on the mission. Dick hesitated a moment, threw him some sort of look he couldn't read, and then walked off with Drake.

“Great. Perfect.”

Bruce had sent him off with an additional “mission,” if one could call something so trivial and patronizing a mission. He was supposed to spend some time with the previous Robins discussing his team's dynamic. Even Damian had to grudgingly admit that Tim had served well in the capacity of Robin for his generation of Teen Titans. He could probably learn something by picking their brains, as long as Dick could be kept focused and on task. If they weren't working the city with him, he wouldn't have the chance to question them about their leadership methods, and then he'd fail his side mission...

Dammit. Bruce had most definitely sent them off on a pointless search expecting them to socialize and bond. They had no chance of actually finding Todd or learning anything about his resurrection, as that clearly was not Batman's purpose in putting the ex-Robins on a train to Salem.

Silently fuming at the way his father had played him, and absolutely sure Providence was the reliable lead, not Salem, Damian stalked back to their hotel room to wait for his sort-of brothers. He would read or train or do _something_ productive while they were out having a heart to heart. Let Dick go on and on about his troubles with Harper and the discomfort of living in Keystone City, and let Tim whine once more about all his troubles and losses. Which, admittedly were pretty tragic, but the way he went on about them was inexcusable. And some of the friends he'd lost had been brought back to life. He didn't need to be as tiresome about it as he was.

Really, Drake could have taken some agency with his grief instead of stewing in it.

Damian got back to his hotel room feeling annoyed but confident. Dick and Tim would distract each other and possibly be less grating when he saw them next, once they'd had a solid round of bleeding heart discourse. His father would progress their current case if not solve it, and Damian actually had some time to himself in a fairly interesting city. He'd either study some more files or continue reading through that tome on demonology he'd borrowed from Zatanna. This wasn't actually a bad way to spend an evening.

He was, therefore, more than a little thrown when he opened the door to their hotel room and found Jason Todd sitting on Dick's bed. “Hello, little bird.” Todd lazily trained his gun on Damian and fired.

* * *

“Why are there so many people wearing witch hats in here?”

“Because we're in Salem?” Dick answered with a shrug.

Tim's brow creased. “But it's May. It's not even remotely Halloween.”

“I think it's Halloween every day here or something. Seems like their thing. Anyway, how've things been going? I haven't seen a whole lot of the new Titans team, but every time I've bumped into X'hawn he seems like he's doing pretty well.”

“That kid is like a giant bundle of anxiety. He's definitely getting better though. He got really clingy after...after Tam died. I thought he was going to have a hard time with me being away for this thing, but he was actually pretty stoked about hanging out with Alfred at the manor for a few days. He kept sending me a gif of Belle seeing the Beast's library for the first time.”

Dick snorted. “Maybe we've been thinking about his position on the team all wrong. Damian shouldn't be grooming him to be a tank, the way Kory was for us. He should be grooming him to be an archivist or something.”

“He keeps saying his people were a race of scholars and historians. He's already outpacing me on a lot of subjects. Maybe you could take him on a nerdy museum day instead of me. I think he'd like that. Tam was taking him to a lot of cool places. They'd...they'd just planned out a trip to DC to hit up the Smithsonian.” Tim finally gave up on trying to pretend he felt normal when he didn't, and slouched down in his seat.

Dick moved to the other side of the table and pulled him into a half-hug. “I wish I had more to say than just how much it sucks.”

“It really does. You want to know what the weird part is though? We don't even know who did it, really. Like, the kids have this vague suggestion that it was that demon king that they're looking for, but we don't really know any details. And that should be driving me crazy. I'm a detective, for fuck's sake. I should be out of my mind with how focused I am on this case. But I'm not. I'm just...empty. I've confronted so many villains who have taken people I cared about from me, and it never actually makes me feel better. It's pointless. It accomplishes nothing. They're still dead, and I'm still alone.”

“Oh Tim...I know it's not the same, but you're not alone. You've got us, and you've got your Titans too. Bart said you've been spending a lot of time with Cassie and Conner lately. I think that's really good. Keep it up, okay?”

Tim nodded, and then edged away from Dick and took a quick sip of his drink. He kept rubbing absentmindedly at his ring finger as they spoke.

So it was time for a subject change, then.

“Do you still hang out with Bart at all? I was kinda thinking I'd see you around Keystone a little more than I have.”

“We mostly talk online, but I've been dropping by the Tower to see him and Cass on Titans weekends. Damian hates it, of course.” Tim shook his head, wearing an amused smile. “I think he thinks I'm going to check up on him and step on his toes. But Cass and Bart asked me. They want me to check up on them, actually. When our team was starting up, Kory and Vic and Gar eventually mellowed out but at first they were pretty bad about taking away like all of our agency. Their peer mentoring was really patronizing, and we shut down on them for awhile. Cassie and Bart want another pair of eyes on them so they can make sure they don't alienate the kids. And where Damian's so sensitive about other people overstepping him...”

“It seems like it's working out so far though.”

“Yeah. I'm actually really surprised. Damian's...”

Dick arched a brow, waiting for Tim to finish that sentence. He had to physically prod him to get it out of him.

“Fine, fine. Damian's not quite the shit one would expect him to be. He really does want what's best for the team, and I don't think it's just for the sake of his own glory.”

“He pretends he's motivated by ego but there's a lot more to him. I've been telling you that for years.”

“Mm. Well, don't tell him I said this but I actually think he's going to do a good job leading this team. Otherwise I'd be trying to talk X'hawn into quitting.”

Dick glanced at his phone and checked the time. “We should probably make a decision about whether we're suiting up tonight or not.”

“I really don't think we're going to find anything here. I think Bruce sent us on a dead lead on purpose.”

“Yeah, that's what my gut's telling me too. Let's head back to the room. If Damian's there we might be able to talk him into socializing with us.”

Tim went up to the bar to settle their tab, and then they headed back out to the charming brick street with its clusters of eccentrically dressed tourists and tour guides. Dick lingered by a shop window, an evil grin on his face as he eyed the contents. Tim followed his gaze and shot him a disapproving look.

“I don't know if you're considering that witch hat for yourself or one of us, but I'm strongly advising you to keep your money. I'm not wearing it, Damian's not wearing it, and neither of us are going to be seen with you if you wear it.”

“I mean, the shop's closed anyway.”

“Uh huh.”

“Fine. I suppose I don't want to spend the train ride back to Gotham sitting by myself while Damian tries to kill me with his eyes. I think I'm supposed to be having a heart to heart with him over some kind of emotional...something or other.”

“Oh?”

Dick sighed. “Lian gave me a nudge. She said Damian hasn't seemed like himself at the last couple of Titans weekends but he won't open up to her so she thought maybe I'd be able to get it out of him instead. If he's not willing to talk to Lian then it's probably either about her or about Jai West.”

“Jai? Does Damian even really know that kid? They barely talk. They...oh. Something happened there.”

Dick swore under his breath. Tim rolled his eyes. “God, you don't think much of me, do you? I won't use this gossip to hurt the brat, okay? So is that it? Were they a thing?”

“You know, thing is probably the best way to describe that dumpster fire of a relationship I've heard so far. Yeah, they tried to date and it didn't go well. Damian's not entirely comfortable being around his ex, but you know him. Show no weakness, admit no faults, all that jazz. He's just going to silently hurt until it eats him up inside.”

“Ah, peachy. I've noticed that every incarnation of the Titans gives the next generation ample reason to understand why dating within the team is a horrible idea. And yet we never seem to learn from the experiences of those who went before us.”

“What are you talking about?” Dick asked with a laugh. “I mean yeah, the relationships from my Titans teams didn't go well at all, but your group included Wonder Girl and Super Boy, who just had _the_ dream wedding of the superhero community. They've done more to single handedly perpetuate the delusion that dating other costumed heroes is a very good idea indeed than anyone in costumed history.”

Tim didn't answer, just smiled at Dick's assertion as they headed into the hotel's lobby. While they rode the elevator to their floor they brainstormed ways for Tim to make himself scarce so Dick could have alone time with Damian, without making Damian feel like he was being handled or groomed to spill his secrets. They were still trying to hit on something when they got to their door.

Their conversation, unfortunately, was cut short by the sound of gunfire and breaking furniture.

Dick immediately kicked the door in and the two of them charged into the room.

“I was startled-that's the only reason he hit me!”

“Damian, there are more important things going on right now!” Dick yelled, while also immediately ducking to avoid a volley of bullets.

Damian was already low to the ground, clutching at his bloodied right bicep. Knowing he would catch hell for it later, Dick moved to stand in front of him.

Jason was standing on the opposite end of the room, with their suitcases and gear. It had been quite some time since Dick had seen him. All he registered in the haze of action was that more of his hair had turned white and it looked like he'd lost a significant amount of weight.

They needed to disarm him, pronto. It was a small space and one of them was already down (and would whine incessantly if that was pointed out to him). Even though he was in civilian attire, Dick had some batarangs on him. He took aim as Jason went to fire on them, but of course he easily avoided the batarang. He did have to step out of the way, which gave Dick the chance to fling himself and Damian behind one of the hotel beds.

The likely not-bullet proof hotel bed. A definite downside of being away from Gotham: the furnishings were significantly less likely to have been made by Wayne Enterprises or an affiliate with the intention of being used as a shield in a gunfight.

Jason was only distracted by the batarang for seconds, but Tim still went for him. He managed to get close, to get his hands on Jason's arm but not to disarm him. Dick leapt across the room to help his little brother. He got to them as they were scuffling, Jason trying to keep his grip on the gun and Tim trying to get it from him. It fired again, and Dick dove for the ground. He could see their legs. He was close.

He swiped at Jason's feet, and managed to punch him in the face as he was falling over. Jason wasn't holding the gun when he hit the wall. Dick hit him again, and watched him slump down, unconscious.

“Guys, injuries?” Dick barked. “Talk to me. Damian, how bad's your arm?”

“Attend to Drake!” Damian's voice came out in a panicked choke that turned Dick's blood to ice in his veins. He finally tore his eyes off of Jason and turned to Tim, who was also slumped over on the floor, bleeding freely from several spots.

Jason's last shots had hit their mark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't actually started writing the next chapter yet, but I do have some free time set aside specifically for writing it this week! Please don't hate me. I will do my very best to keep this from going too long without an update.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim's friends cope in their own ways. Meanwhile, high school life introduces some complications for the teenage superheroes who attend public school.

There really was no “attending” to Tim Drake. He died of his injuries almost immediately, while Dick clung to him and begged him not to go.

Of course, he would have liked to comply with Dick's request, but being bullet riddled limited his options. Tim slipped away, and when his awareness returned he was still lying on the ground but it wasn't Dick holding him anymore.

Tam Fox was looking down on him with an expression that spoke of suppressed emotion. She brushed some of his hair back from his face. He was sure he was dreaming, that he must have passed out, or maybe he was in a coma. God knows he'd imagined exactly this in the months since his girlfriend had been murdered.

Tam was emitting a faint green glow, which was new. He'd never pictured that before.

“You let your hair get stupid long again, baby. Didn't anyone tell you to get it cut, or do you really depend on me for that?”

“I...uh. Wait, what's going on?” Tim was feeling rapidly less fuzzy and disoriented, and he quickly established that this was not some dream, but the sort of weirdness that came with costumes and the supernatural.

Everything around them carried that faint green glow, and when Tim held his hands in front of his eyes he realized he was glowing too. It looked like they were in a cavern of some kind. The place was barren, desolate. The type of landscape someone would come up with from the prompt 'hopelessly oppressed.'

“You died,” Tam said simply. “JJ said it was probably going to happen sooner as opposed to later. One of Neron's agents went rogue, and when he did he was fixated on you specifically, so...” She sighed and shook her head. “JJ's going to be insufferable. I thought you were going to make it. I was so sure the other Bats were going to protect you. I kept telling him that he might have more experience with hell and Neron, but _I_ know the Bat family and they're not going to let anything happen to my baby. I could _kill_ Mr. Wayne for this.”

“Wait, we're in hell?” Tim felt a bewildering stab of hurt. He'd always thought he'd been a pretty good person. He'd tried his best. And Tam certainly hadn't transgressed in any significant way. Shouldn't they have been in a better sort of afterlife?

Tam laughed. “Don't take it personally, Tim. A lot of folks come here, it turns out. There are all sorts of after life realms and apparently the rulers barter with each other over the souls. It's a lot more random than my religious upbringing led me to believe. Plus it's not like we're actively tortured or anything. I mean, you are if you wind up on Neron's shit list. Poor JJ had to go through about a decade of torture before Neron got bored with him. But he spends most of his time plotting a hostile takeover of earth, so he doesn't really pay much attention to the souls he's already got.”

Tim blinked a few times. “This is the thing the Teen Titans are investigating, isn't it? This demon king that targeted the new kid, Billy Hong. He's coming for Earth?”

“Oh yeah. He's prepping for a big old Crisis. The kind the Justice League biggies always talk about.”

“Tam, it's...it's usually the Teen Titans at the center of the Crises, not just the Justice League.” Tim climbed to his feet and started looking around. “By JJ...are you talking about the Trickster?”

“Yup.” James Jesse was leaning against the rock wall by the opening of the cavern, trying to look nonchalant. “You ready to join the resistance, kid? I've noticed that Titans alumni usually have a pretty prominent place in things when the world tries to rip apart too.”

“Oh, I'm most definitely in.”

Tam beamed at him, then turned to the Trickster. “I told you he would be.”

“Hey, I didn't doubt you. I've heard good things about you Robins. Selina always spoke very highly of you.”

“That one time you worked together,” Tam said with an eye roll. She followed it up with a whisper. “He likes to make it sound like he and Catwoman dated or something.”

“Hey, were either of you there?” James snapped. “I don't think so. For all you know, Selina Kyle was desperately in love with me.”

Tim smiled in a way he knew to be infuriatingly patronizing. “Okay, Trickster. Sure thing.”

“Oh shut up.”

He followed Tam and James out of the cavern and into what was indeed a more broadly green tinged waste of a landscape, peopled here and there by other faintly glowing souls of the damned. Tam was still giggling about having ruffled James' feathers. It was a sound Tim hadn't even realized how much he'd missed until hearing it again.

Maybe being dead wasn't going to be that bad after all.

* * *

Roy was stirred to unhappy wakefulness by the sound of short, loud raps on his bedroom door. He recognized the knock as Lian's, and a moment later this was confirmed by her asking if he was decent. “M'up, m'up.” Roy sat up and rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand.

Piper stirred and pulled a pillow over his head. Roy blinked a few times, as he'd assumed the warm body in close proximity to him in the bed had been his boyfriend. Then the previous night came back to him with clarity.

He'd spent a few hours with Linda, Wally, and Bart, which had actually been a lot more fun than he'd expected. They'd split a few pizzas, played some more video games, and gossiped and reminisced about hero stuff. He and Wally had both tried to say bitchy things a couple of times, but Linda pointedly redirected their conversation and kept the peace. Despite himself, he'd had a good time.

Then Piper and Irey had returned, Irey looking glum and Piper radiating forced cheerfulness that somehow managed to fool his old friends into thinking he was okay. Roy had invited him back to his place, they'd put on some records, and Piper spilled his misgivings about Irey's current head space. He was convinced the poor girl was setting herself up for an abusive relationship. From what Roy had seen of things, he wasn't all that sure Piper was wrong, so he had very few reassuring things to say. Piper was also clearly still having problems with the other West twin, but he hadn't wanted to talk about that and Roy didn't push him. They'd fallen asleep while listening to some long, pretentious instrumental thing that hadn't held Roy's interest in the slightest, which had been a definite mistake. He'd been lying at a terrible angle when he'd drifted off, and his back was going to be giving him hell for it for the rest of the day.

Lian rushed into the room, clearly much more awake than either of the men and in a bit of a panic. “Oh my gosh, Daddy, you have to get to Gotham like, right now. See if the League can teleport you or something. I'll get your clothes together and I already started the coffee maker for you...um. What's Mr. Rathaway doing in your bed?”

“Cursing existence, most likely. I don't think Piper gets up until well after one in the afternoon most days,” Roy said. Piper grumbled something from under the pillow that was likely an agreement.

Lian frowned at him and tilted her head to the side. “Um...okay. Well, I got a text from X'hawn and...Uncle Dick really needs you right now. This,” she waved towards Piper, “isn't going to be a problem, is it?”

It was Roy's turn to frown. “No. Why would it be? Jesus, Lian. We're both fully clothed. We just fell asleep listening to music.”

“Well, with your past habits and all-”

“I'm sorry, haven't we already had the conversation where I stated unequivocally that my fourteen year old daughter isn't allowed to slut shame me?”

“Hey, I'm just calling it like I see it. And what I see right now is weird. Anyway, the point is, you need to get to Gotham pronto and you should probably take me with you because X'hawn's a mess too. I know he's been sitting with Mr. Pennyworth for awhile, and Mr. Pennyworth is made of patience because you'd _have_ to be if you're going to raise Batman while also being his employee and all, but he's also really old and he'd probably like a nap by now.”

Piper pulled the pillow off of his head. “Lian, what's going on? You still haven't actually told us.” His voice was incredibly raspy and groggy sounding. Roy had to fight back a smile, because he thought it was ridiculously cute.

“Jason Todd murdered Tim Drake last night. And from what X'hawn and Damian told me, Dick's trying to emotionally support Batman right now and it's not going well. They're both really worried and they asked me to send you to Gotham. So Daddy, can you please go already? Even Damian wants you to go give Uncle Dick a hug. Doesn't that tell you how bad this is?”

Roy was out of bed in an instant and suddenly fully awake and alert. He pulled open the top drawer of his dresser and started blindly grabbing clean clothes.

Lian walked over to him, smacked his arm until he dropped what he was holding, which turned out to be three t-shirts, two pairs of shorts, five mismatched socks and no underpants, and then shooed him towards the door. “I'll get your clothes together. Go drink some coffee, and then while you get dressed I'll call for the teleportation. Okay?”

“That...sounds like a good plan.”

Lian kissed his cheek, and he went downstairs to get the coffee.

He tried to get his thoughts in order while he paced around the kitchen sipping the coffee and letting the caffeine finish the process of waking him up that adrenaline at Lian's words had started. He needed to get over his own shock and grief as fast as possible. Dick needed him. He was going to need to keep it together for both of them.

But damn. He was having a hard time processing Tim being gone. Of all the kids Roy had seen put on costumes and throw themselves in harm's way, he'd always thought Tim stood the best chance of making it. And he'd even tapped out, gone on reserve, and built himself a solid looking normal life. He'd always been such a good kid.

“Your daughter shooed me downstairs with instructions that I should take my leave. I'd sort of figured, anyway.” Piper appeared in the doorway, still looking a bit disoriented. “I'll be around, if you need me. I've got a volunteering thing later on, but if you need to talk I'll make it a point to keep my phone on and charged.”

“Thanks, dude. I imagine I'm going to be...” Roy wasn't sure how to finish that sentence.

“You've mentioned a few times how emotionally draining your boyfriend can be, even under good circumstances. You know that cliché about how you can't pour from an empty cup? Be careful today, okay?” Piper gave his good arm a squeeze, and then left.

Roy downed the rest of his coffee, and then went back upstairs to prepare for the teleportation to Gotham.

* * *

Somehow, Lian was surprised when she found Damian also recovering from a gunshot wound, something he'd failed to mention in any of his texts. Then again, she'd been friends with the guy since she was five. Maybe this was her bad, and even if she hadn't _expected_ a gunshot wound she still shouldn't have been surprised by it.

“Are you even fully healed from X'hawn shooting you?”

“Yes. That was a minor inconvenience.”

A minor inconvenience that had had him bedridden for four days. Lian sighed, and cast another look at his bandaged arm, which was resting awkwardly in a sling. “You're really having shit luck lately, huh? This is going to slow down training sessions this weekend.”

“Oh. I was thinking...perhaps we ought to cancel this upcoming Titans weekend.

“I was actually thinking that too. I'm just...surprised we're on the same page.” She took a seat next to him.

They were in his little nook in the Bat Cave. Damian was doing his best to tinker with some gadget or other, but was having some obvious difficulties working with one hand. He was wearing workout clothes. Lian hoped that was a habitual thing and not because he'd been training with bruised ribs and a gunshot wound. But he didn't smell like boy sweat. The Bat Cave always faintly smelled like sweat, but it was much stronger when one of them was actively training.

“Did you attend to X'hawn already? I'm actually fine. I wasn't close to Drake.”

“I know,” Lian said. She suspected this wasn't the case. She knew Damian and Tim had never gotten along, but they were effectively family. She was sure the loss was hitting Damian harder than he realized, or knew how to process. “I asked after X'hawn first and Mr. Pennyworth told me he was asleep. He thinks X'hawn just wanted to be alone for a little while, but he also probably tired himself out. I...I think we're going to have to be careful with him, Dami. His whole planet got destroyed, everyone on the ship he evacuated with was tortured and killed by those slavers and mad scientists, and then when he came to Earth both of his guardians were murdered in less than a year. He was telling Mr. Pennyworth that he thinks he's been cursed by the gods. Everyone he gets close to dies.”

“Well, even though I don't agree with his conclusion I can't fault him for arriving at it. However, he has to understand that he still has us. We haven't died. If need be, I'll keep all of us alive just to spite this notion of a cursed existence.”

Lian figured he'd say something like that. She honestly didn't understand how people missed out on this side of Damian. Everyone acted like he was so mean and prickly, and he could be sometimes, but mostly she just thought he was unforgivably cute. “So how are you holding up? I know you and Tim weren't buddies or anything, but he's still Bat-Family. It can hurt to watch other people hurt, y'know?”

“Indeed. Father's not taking it well, not that anyone expected him to. But he's got his ways of processing trauma. He's trying to focus on Todd, who is going to be a problem for us and needs to be managed. But Dick keeps trying to get him to talk about his feelings, for some infuriating reason. I don't understand...he and my father have worked closely together for so long now. How does he still not know how to handle Father when he's upset? Distraction is good for him. He needs to be working, not talking about _feelings_.”

“Well, to be fair if his work right now is Jason Todd then feelings are still gonna be involved. What's up with him, anyway?”

Damian shook his head. “He was transported to the Watchtower. The magic users and super scientists are running the same sorts of tests on him that they did on you. Which honestly should have happened years ago, when he first returned. Father wishes to go and join them, but Dick insisted they talk first. I left when it became clear that my continued presence was...unproductive.”

Which was his way of asking for an update. “When I was upstairs still, Dick was sitting in one of your fancy living rooms with Alfred. Your dad was gone, so he's probably up on the Watchtower then. I asked about you and X'hawn and decided to come down here. I left Daddy with Uncle Dick, so they should be okay.”

Damian looked at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. There was some kind of scrutiny there. She lifted her eyebrows and he sighed. “You seem discomfited by something. Normally, your reassurances about your father and Dick carry more conviction. Were they having some kind of conflict before this?”

“I don't think so.” Lian rubbed at the back of her neck. “They seem okay, but...I dunno. Something's still kind of off. They're not spending that much time together anymore. Like, I think they saw each other more before Uncle Dick moved in. And, um...I haven't needed my over-ear headphones as much as I used to.”

Damian was blatantly confused about her meaning.

“I...I wear headphones when they're, uh...see the wall between our rooms is really thin and you can hear everything and...”

“Oh. Oh, yes, that does sound uncomfortable. So they're not spending much time together and they're having less sex.”

“Yeah. And...Daddy's been, like, weird. He's always hanging out with Mr. Rathaway and he's getting kinda clingy about him, and Mr. Rathaway slept over last night. I don't think they did anything. But it just seems kinda weird.”

“I had thought things were proving unusually stable between them for an unusually long period of time. They should have broken up by now.”

“Damian, don't say that. Daddy and Uncle Dick are meant to be.”

Damian laughed, a real, genuine laugh at that. Lian wasn't sure she'd ever heard him make that sound before. She felt very petulant for it, and she definitely pouted in response. “Hey. There's no need to be a jerk about it.”

“Sorry,” he said, with a smile that did nothing to quell her embarrassment or anger. “It's just, this is a very clear pattern between them. They date, things go well, they both feel discomfited with things going well, and then one or both of them manufactures some kind of dramatic event to ultimately end the relationship. Then they try again once memory of the dramatic event has dulled. I'm not sure about your father, but Dick approaches all of his most serious romantic relationships in a similar fashion. It's my understanding that Barbara Gordon purposefully distanced herself from him to keep the cycle from repeating, and that Starfire has taken similar precautions, although with less success. Your father is the only one who seems content to repeat the process until one or both of them dies.”

“You know, for someone who usually sucks at reading people when it comes to this stuff...”

Damian looked away. “I had help. Dick's motivations consistently elude me but they make sense to my father.”

Lian swung her feet back and forth and tapped her fingers against the workbench. “Uncle Dick makes Dad so happy. I thought that they were going to be their happily ever after. Why would you muck something like that up?”

“Humans are inherently nonsensical,” Damian supplied. “They rarely act in their own best interest, even when they're absolutely positive that that's what they're doing.”

“I guess.”

Meanwhile, upstairs, Roy was struggling trying to figure out how to best deal with a boyfriend who was very clearly an inch from a nervous breakdown, but didn't seem to realize that about himself. The front of Dick's shirt was bloodstained. Roy was trying not to think too much about that.

Surely he wasn't still wearing the clothes he'd had on when Tim died. Someone would have made him change by now if that was Tim's blood. But there really wasn't an explanation to the bloodstain that was less disturbing than Roy's first thought.

He watched Dick pace around the living room, muttering under his breath about how obtuse and nonsensical Bruce was being. Roy let him go for a few minutes, and tried to come up with a strategy. He still didn't have any idea what he was doing, and Dick was getting more and more agitated, so he got up, grabbed him, and pulled him into a hug. “Stop. Please, stop and sit down just for a few minutes.”

“I'm fine,” Dick insisted, just as unconvincingly as all the other times he'd said it. “Bruce is the one who's freaking out, but he's trying to work and he needs to take, like, at least an hour to-”

“ _Dick_ ,” Roy said, a bit more harshly than he'd meant to based on the way the man flinched. “This whole situation sucks, and it sucks royally for you in a way it doesn't necessarily for the others. You can stop thinking about Bruce for a little while, okay? It's not like he's alone on the Watchtower, and everyone knows what happened. He's got people. He'll be fine.”

“But-”

“You are not fine, and you need to not be fine for a little while on your own before you help him with his shit. Or Damian or X'hawn, for that matter. I know how much you love Tim. It's...like, do what you need to do, okay? But actually do it. I don't want any of this Bat martyr crap. I want you to take care of yourself and I want to help.”

Dick didn't say anything immediately, and Roy worried that he'd fucked up his speech and maybe he should have been more sympathetic or something. But he was pretty sure Dick had needed to be yelled at at least a little about neglecting himself.

Then Dick's eyes looked a little glassy, and the next thing Roy knew Dick was pulling away from him and trying very hard to check tears that would not be checked. This was new. Roy had seen Dick through a lot of awful shit before, but normally Dick didn't let him see this stuff. To the best of Roy's knowledge, he hadn't even cried when they'd thought Bruce was dead, and he'd been sure Bruce was gone for good that time.

And then Roy realized he had no idea what he was trying to do. It was a shit moment for that sort of realization. “I...hey, it's okay. You're...you're going to be good.”

“I wish Jason had gotten me instead. It's just not fair.”

Roy felt his stomach drop. It's not that he'd wanted Tim to die, clearly. Not at all. But he damn well didn't want his boyfriend to get killed either. If it had been an either or, he was glad Dick was still breathing.

Dick walked over to the window and took some deep breaths. Roy remained by the couch, feeling itchy and unsure of himself, and when Dick turned to face him again he was more composed. “I'm going to go check on X'hawn.”

“Okay. Um...what's up with him anyway? Now that...now that they're both gone.”

Dick shrugged. “We're still figuring that out. He doesn't want to stay at the manor again if he can help it. Bruce and Damian make him nervous. I was hoping you'd be okay with him staying with us for a little while. Just until we can figure out a permanent solution. I know there's not enough space for him to be there long term.”

“Yeah, that's cool. Whatever you guys need.”

Dick wiped at his eyes, nodded, and then left the room. Roy sat down on the couch, anxiously tapped his hand against his knee for a minute, and then grabbed his phone so he could text Piper.

* * *

“So is there, like, a cap on how many Robins can be around at a given time? Because losing Tim Drake _as_ they find Jason Todd just seems like-ow! Mom, Irey hit me.”

“That's just because she got to you first, sweetie.” Linda threw a fake smile at her son.

Jai rubbed at his bruised arm, looked at the friends and family assembled in the room, and realized no one was going to be taking his side in this one. “Fine. I'll just shut up then.”

“That'd be good,” Bart said. He and Rose had joined the West family for dinner, which was a rarity. Usually Rose avoided all social interactions, but she didn't seem inclined to leave her fiance at the moment. Every time Bart got up or moved to a different room she followed after and stood silently at his side. It was a little creepy. Even though the kids had been wanting to get to know her better for years, they were suddenly less sorry they'd never gotten very close with their cousin's partner.

Bart leaned back in his chair and let out a loud groan in the direction of the ceiling. “I should be up on the Watchtower.”

“Dad said you should stay here though,” Irey said. “He said that Batman's being more of a jerk than usual, and that he doesn't want a lot of people around while they're checking Jason Todd out.”

“I know, kiddo.” Bart mustered a weak smile for her. “I just want to be doing something. One of my oldest and best friends was killed, and I'm just sitting here eating...what the hell is this anyway?”

“Pad Thai,” Linda said. “It was Wally's turn to pick and we got pizza the other night. And before you say it, I know he's not here but he'll eat the leftovers. I'm sorry, Bart. Is there anything we can do? Do you and Irey want to go for a run together while Jai and I clean up?”

Rose compulsively gripped Bart's shoulder, and he shook his head. “Nah, thanks though. I think I'm just going to be in a suck mood for the foreseeable future. That's how this grief stuff works, isn't it? And I suppose it's only fair. I did put everyone else through this that one time. Good revenge, Tim. You had to grieve me so now I get to grieve you.” He rubbed at his eyes, then got up and went into the bathroom. Rose followed him and leaned against the wall just next to the door.

Linda and the kids went into the living room to wait for him, and also to get away from Rose, though none of them were going to admit that.

Jai flopped onto the couch and let out a dramatic sigh. “I don't know why everyone's making such a big deal about this. People die _all the time_. And they come back just as often as long as they're a costume. I predict Tim Drake stays dead for maybe a year. Two tops.”

Linda pressed a hand to her forehead, while her other one squeezed into an involuntary fist at her side. “Sweetie, resurrections are luck and chance. We can't count on them. Tim could be gone forever, and a lot of people you care about are rightfully saddened by that. Can you at least pretend to have some empathy?”

“Seriously,” Irey muttered. She started pacing, and when Bart and Rose walked into the room she gave Bart a hug. “Are you sure you don't want to run for a little while? We could go to that cool ice cream place in California that Dad takes me to sometimes.”

Bart shot a look at Rose, who inclined her head slightly. “Actually, that sounds really good right now.”

Irey lit up. “Great!” There was a crackle, and then she was wearing her Kid Flash costume. Bart did the same, and the two of them were gone in a blur of motion the non-speedsters couldn't follow. Linda was pretty sure she saw Bart approach his fiancee before he left, and if she had to guess she'd say he kissed her cheek.

Rose glowered at her soon-to-be in-laws for a moment, then edged towards the front door. “I think I'll wait for him at home. Good night. Uh...thanks for having me.”

“You can stay, if you want.” Linda did her best to sound warm, but it made no difference. Rose left, and a moment later her son disappeared for his bedroom.

She sighed, and sat down on the couch. “I could go back to work, I suppose. If I were working again everyone would be distracting me all of the time and I would never get a moment for myself.” She let out a weary sigh, then went looking for her phone so she could text Piper.

* * *

When pitched the idea of postponing their meeting, the Titans all answered with variations of, “well if the Gotham kids need it, but really I'd rather have the meeting if we can.” And when X'hawn was asked about it he said he'd much rather be at the Tower distracting himself from his grief, so that settled things.

Lian would have been much more comfortable postponing the meeting, but she ultimately sided with her fellow Titans, figuring the discomfort would be worth it if they were able to rally around X'hawn and cheer him up. They might not have been getting much accomplished as crime fighters just yet, but she had her eye fixed firmly on the other thing the Teen Titans were known for, which was being a close knit group of friends that functioned like additional family. She wanted to grow that trust and intimacy within the team. The boys were making it admittedly difficult, but she had a determination to match and possibly best Damian and Billy's. They would all love each other like family by the end of it.

Either that or she'd kick their bickering, immature, posturing asses off of her team.

Lian's concerns for her team kept distracting her during school on Friday. Really, she was lucky she had such a strong memory, and that her superhero family had been training her to fully utilize it from infancy, otherwise she might have gotten in more trouble for her daydreaming. As is, her teachers barely noticed how scattered her attention was.

Her classmates, on the other hand, picked up on it. Lian was lingering by her locker, ostensibly getting her books together for her next class but really worrying about X'hawn and Damian, when a boy she didn't recognize leaned on the locker next to her. “Hey, Harper. How's it going?”

“Hm? Oh, fine.” She quickly grabbed her Spanish book, shut her locker, and started walking up the hall. A few people standing nearby laughed, but she barely noticed. Then the boy who'd greeted her jogged up to her and grabbed her arm. She looked up at him and pointedly raised her eyebrows in a signal for him to get on with it.

His brash smile faltered, and he awkwardly patted the back of his neck like he was going to scratch it. “So, um…I don't, like, have a date for the junior prom yet. I could take you. Y'know, if you wanted to get in.”

“Oh. I'm not going to that. Thanks, though.” She turned on her heel and continued walking to her class. She heard more laughter, and at least one person mocking the guy who'd asked her out for being shot down by a freshman.

Lian frowned, and then ducked into the nearest girls' room. She'd just been asked out by a junior and she'd rejected him without even thinking about it. She didn't even know the kid's name.

She dug around in her backpack until she got her hands on her day planner and flipped through it. “Drat.” The freshman and sophomore semi-formals were next week, and the junior and senior proms were the week after. She'd already been asked out a few times, and so far she'd managed to turn everyone down tactfully. Now that the events were getting closer, more and more people were going to ask.

Lian paused in front of the mirror and assessed herself. Somehow she'd become quite popular. She didn't fully understand it. She didn't have much free time for socializing, she had no close friendships at school outside of Irey and Jai, which obviously came from non-school activities, and she was a brain and overachiever. She'd figured she'd be ignored at best, and brushed off as a nerd as the worst case scenario.

But she was very pretty, and pleasant, and her aloofness was being interpreted as a sort of intriguing mysteriousness. The last thing she wanted to do was date a civilian. Hell, she wasn't terribly keen on the idea of dating within the hero community either. Her options were pretty narrow, at this point, and the one she liked the most didn't seem like great boyfriend material. At fourteen, with a hectic life and a lot of important commitments, she wasn't overly eager to rebel against her father's wishes that she wait a few years before she start dating.

She also didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings though.

Determined to keep any other unwelcome propositions at bay, Lian spent the rest of the day paying much more attention to her surroundings, and excusing herself from conversations before they could take an awkward turn. By the time she climbed into the passenger seat of Jai's car after school she'd been asked out or nearly asked out six times.

“Everything okay, Li?” Irey flicked Lian's stylishly messy bun as she climbed into the backseat. Jai waited for her to put on her seat belt, and then started driving towards the West home so they could trade their school things for their superhero gear.

“Ugh. Five boys tried to ask me out today, and one really determined lesbian who wouldn't take my sexual orientation as a convincing enough deal breaker. What the hell? Is this what school is going to be like until the proms and semis are over? I don't want to have to go through this every spring for the next three years.”

Irey scowled. “That sounds like a real hardship.”

“It's not attention I want,” Lian said with a pout.

“Saying yes to at least one kid gets the rest to stop,” Jai said. “I'm going to the senior prom with Isaac Dalton. Well, in theory he's going with Meghan Ramirez, but she's just being his beard. When we get to prom, I'm Isaac's date and she's actually going to be there with Cynthia Fuller. But, y'know, for the sake of families and pictures and all that jazz.”

Lian rested her forehead against the window and thought that over. “Are you and Isaac going as date-dates or just as friends?”

“Friends, mostly.”

Neither of the girls were interested in hearing him elaborate on the mostly, so it was left hanging. “Jai...would you go to the freshman semi with me as a friend, just so I can say I have a date?”

“You can't be serious. The freshman semi? I'm a junior, Lian. I don't want to spend the night with a bunch of dorky freshman in formal wear. I'm not even going to the junior prom.”

“I'd go with you,” Irey offered.

“Yeah, but that won't help me with the creepy lesbian. I think I'd be better off going with a dude.”

“I think the dudes at our school are way creepier than the lesbians, but suit yourself.”

“Irey, have you asked anyone to prom yet?”

Irey frowned and lowered her gaze. “There's a guy I kinda want to, but I keep chickening out.”

“Try and ask him this weekend. Seriously, if you're scared of doing it, giving yourself a deadline might help. I bet he says yes. He's a total tool if he doesn't say yes.” Lian turned around in her seat so she could smile for Irey's benefit. “Do you have a dress yet?”

“Yeah. Me and Mom went shopping ages ago. I asked you if you wanted to tag along, but you had a thing. I think it was for debate team. Either that or you were reading up on demon stuff with Damian.”

“Could have been either. Well, you should show me your dress before we leave for Titans Tower.”

“Kay.”

Lian ran inside when they got to the West house. Irey repacked her backpack in a few seconds, then carefully took her dress out of her closet. She looked almost reverent when she folded back the plastic dress bag. “Mom found it at this really cute boutique in Central City. They ask all their prom customers what school they go to, so they won't sell the same dress to girls going to the same prom. Isn't it pretty?”

“Irey, you must look so good in this! That color is perfect for you.”

Irey smiled crookedly and patted the soft, gold toned material. “We're going to tease my hair into all these crazy curls. Mom's got lots of ideas for hair and makeup. I'm actually really excited. Even if I don't manage to get a date _to_ prom, I think I'll look hot enough that I can probably get someone to dance with me once I'm there. And all of my friends are going, so I won't be lonely.”

“I can't believe no one's asked you out yet.”

“I can.”

Lian frowned. “Well, ask out your boy. I'm sure he'll say yes.”

“Whatever. It's not like it's important.”

With that less than cheerful comment, Lian left to check out Jai's suit, which of course looked perfectly stylish and a bit goth. He accepted all of Lian's polite compliments about how nice he'd look with a cocky grin, and then they clambered back into his car for the short drive to Lian's house so she could put away her school things and get her superhero gear as well. She found her father sitting in the living room with his computer open. He quickly hid a chat screen when she leaned over the back of the couch to give him a hug.

“What'cha doing?”

“Nothing. You heading out for the Tower?”

“Mm hm. The twins are outside. Jai's driving us to the airport, and Cassie's going to pick us up in the jet. I think Irey's riding with us this time. You doing anything fun this weekend?”

Roy frowned and shook his head. “I think I'm just gonna be on standby in case Dick needs me. He's still in Gotham though, so looks like it's just me and your little pee machine.”

“You should be nice to Arrow Dog.”

“I'm plenty nice. I'm the one who feeds and walks her and cleans up her pee, aren't I?”

Lian ended the hug and adjusted her backpack straps. “I take care of her too.” Which was maybe a bit of a fib, but she did her best. She was just a lot busier than her father, and he was home and around the dog more than she was. “Daddy, you really aren't going to just sit in the house by yourself all weekend, right? Why don't you go on a team up or something, or have some friends over?”

“I'll be fine, Peanut. If I get really lonely, Piper's LGBT group is having a thing for the youth in Keystone and they're looking for more adult chaperones and cleanup help. I could always lend him a hand with that. I probably should anyway. I've been meaning to do more volunteering.”

“I guess...” She really didn't like the idea of her father spending more time with Hartley Rathaway, especially if Dick wasn't going to be around, but she couldn't think of a way to phrase her misgivings that wouldn't have her dad snapping at her. And really, he did have a point about being an adult and being able to handle his own business.

But he was so freaking bad at being an adult and handling his own business. Sometimes she just wanted to shake him. Dick Grayson was one of her favorite people, and she knew for a fact he was one of her father's as well. Why on earth would he want to sabotage a relationship that was going well, for once, by feeding into this ridiculous crush he was having on a washed up ex-supervillain with a lame gimmick who was always surrounded by literal rats? Seriously, ick. What kind of doofus thought that _that_ mess looked good in comparison to Nightwing?

Okay, that was a bit much. Piper was Jai's mentor and Irey's godfather, and Lian had heard nothing but good things about him. He'd been perfectly pleasant every time Lian had seen him, and in his defense he didn't seem to be egging Roy on in regards to the crush. He seemed to be genuinely interested in friendship and nothing more.

Which also proved the man had poor taste, in addition to being scruffy, lame, and covered in rats.

“Bye, Daddy. See you Sunday night.”

“Have a good team up, Peanut. Call me if you need me.”

“Will do. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

* * *

The Keystone Titans beat the Gothamites to the Tower, which was possibly a first. Their commute was a bit longer, although traveling by jet did speed things up significantly. Lian and Jai both disappeared into their rooms, but Irey lingered around the conference room.

She'd been thinking about what Lian had said, that she should stop being such a chicken. Objectively, she knew she wasn't really ugly. She didn't look how she wanted to, but that wasn't the same thing. Her mother kept telling her that her big problem was her lack of confidence, that boys picked up on how nervous she was and that it made her awkward. She just needed to put herself out there, and everything would be fine.

The things that scared her never went away until she faced them. She took a deep breath, and then walked down the hall to Billy's room and knocked on his door.

He had a heavy book under his arm when he opened the door, and was still wearing his “casual” all black slightly formal looking clothes, as opposed to his “costume,” which consisted of completely formal all black clothes. He hadn't tied his hair back yet either, and Irey took a moment to admire the way his long, glossy hair framed his handsome face.

This was stupid. She should go. There was no way he was going to say yes.

“Hello, Iris. Are the others here already? I'd thought we were still waiting on the Gothamites.”

“W-we are. I just...like, wanted to talk to you for a sec. If that's okay.”

“Oh, of course.” He stepped aside and she walked into his room.

“It smells really good in here. Are you burning something special?”

He shrugged. “Just nag champa. What can I help you with?” He pulled out his desk chair for her and then sat down on his bed.

“Oh, um...right. So. So there's a, uh, a favor I wanted to ask you. Um. Hoo boy.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Just get it over with. Face the things that scare you. “Right. So, so it's like school dance season at my school and y'know, being a superhero kinda makes it hard to have a normal social life because, you like talk to other heroes way better than civilian kids and stuff so I don't, like, already have a date. Um. Would you want to go to my prom with me?”

“Oh.”

Irey squeezed her eyes open and reluctantly faced herself towards Billy. He looked startled. He bit his lip, and then slowly shook his head.

“I'm sorry, but I don't think that's a very good idea. I...I don't mix much with other teenagers, after all.”

“Yeah, but that stays true if you don't do anything about it.” Irey desperately ignored the way her stomach felt like it was seizing up. She also valiantly kept the wobble from her throat. Confident. She was supposed to look confident. Supposedly boys liked that. “You'll never get very good at talking to other kids if you always hide away in the Tower and avoid everyone.”

“True. But I actually have very little interest in talking with other teenagers. The only reason I sought to join your team was to fight Neron, not to socialize. I'm sorry Iris, but I'm sure you'll be able to find a more suitable companion for this. Perhaps X'hawn will go with you? He's shown himself very eager to learn more about cultural norms. He'd probably enjoy attending a prom.”

“Y-yeah. Maybe. Okay. Well, that was it. S-see you in a bit.” With tears threatening to form any second, Irey fled the room and ran for her own bedroom.

Her friends were morons, all of them, and in their efforts to cheer her up they all gave her the worst advice. She wasn't pretty, and she wasn't confident, and the boy she liked hadn't even noticed that she was asking out of genuine interest in him. Well, that did make it slightly less humiliating. But still.

She was going to die alone, swallowed by the energy that gave her her powers.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get tense, both on the team and back home.

James Jesse was very obviously distressed about his son's response to Irey West, and he demonstrated this with his usual dramatic flair.

He was like a fly buzzing in Billy's ear while he walked down the hallway and into the conference room.

“I can't believe you. What in the hell is wrong with you? A cute girl asks you out – a redhead, no less, and you don't even pause to consider. She couldn't be more adorably flustered and you, big man that you are, rip her heart out and fling it on the friggin' ground. You must get this from your mother. If _I'd_ gotten a chance to raise you, you'd have at least been a gentleman about it. Mindy ruined you with all this doom and gloom over your powers business. There's no reason you can't have fun and be a kid too. It's just a dance. And think of how happy you'd have made the poor kid. Wait, was it me? I know I always talk about what a wiener Kid Flash is, but I didn't mean this one, I meant her dad. That guy's a total wiener. This one's _nice_ and she's been so cute with her little crush on you. I repeat: what on earth is _wrong_ with you?”

As Billy was the only one who could see and hear James, he had to suck it up and ignore him. For the moment, anyway. James would be getting an earful once they were back in Billy's room at the end of the night. Unless he ran back to hell like a coward, which also suited Billy just fine.

Billy sat down at the table in his usual spot and hoped his irritation wasn't showing. He usually kept a blandly serene mask in place when he was interacting with his team, unless Damian was pissing him off at which point his smile could get an edge of snark to it.

Lian smiled at him and threw him a little wave. He nodded in her direction, and took it as a sign that he must look relatively normal. Just as he was ignoring his father's ranting, he also ignored the warm tingle Lian's smile shot through him. He'd gotten pretty skilled at ignoring that though.

“That girl is bubbly, and friendly, and just what you need to get the stick out of your keister, meister. You're going to be a hopeless, irredeemable grump if you don't watch it, Billy. Seriously, go to the fucking dance. I promise, it will not kill you.”

For once, Damian wasn't wearing his costume. Billy was confused, but then Damian shifted in his seat and he was able to make out the wad of bandages on his arm, just under the sleeve of his t-shirt. He was probably still recovering from the hit X'hawn had gotten on him the previous week too. Hm. Maybe this weekend's meeting _was_ pointless.

Well, even if they didn't get much accomplished as a team, Billy wasn't sorry to have the Tower inhabited for a couple of days. Not that he was lonely. He prized solitude. And he wasn't supposed to be developing an emotional bond with these teens. They were merely teammates. If he got close to them, Neron was sure to make him regret it.

“Unfortunately, I won't be able to assist you in your training this weekend,” Damian said by way of greeting. “Flash and Wonder Girl will be taking a more active role as I continue to heal. They're waiting for you out on the lawn, but I thought it best that we have some discussion before you depart to train. As you no doubt are all aware at this point, there was an attack on my colleagues and I earlier this week and one of us was killed.”

Here, X'hawn let out a loud sniffle. Irey reached under the table and gave his hand a squeeze.

“I wish I had more information to share with you, but our intel is still fairly limited. Jason Todd, the assailant, was subdued and brought to the Watchtower for a thorough examination by the League's magic users and super scientists. It has been concluded that his resurrection was tampered with by malicious necromancers. He's been purged of demonic influence, which has left him with an incomplete memory. His understanding of the years since his resurrection is fuzzy, with long periods of complete blanks. We...we suspect he may have been at least partially under Neron's control, though we have been unable to confirm it.”

X'hawn's eyes widened. “The last time I asked, Batman said they still didn't know anything.”

“I just spoke with Zatanna before arriving here. This is the most recent intel. Now, much of what Zatanna told me is still guess work. For all we know, Todd could be a convincing actor. But from what those interviewing and examining him say, his version of events fit in with their findings. Besides that, Father said he's acting more like his former self, from before his death and resurrection.”

“So he's been possessed?” Lian asked.

“It appears so.”

Billy frowned, and tried to think back on if he'd heard of any similar cases. As far as he was aware, everyone who'd entered Neron's services had done so willingly, even if they'd been deceived after the fact. But then, he was mostly familiar with living people who had sold themselves to Neron, or souls of the damned. The resurrection, the imperfect state between dead and living, certainly complicated matters.

“That fits,” James muttered, just next to Billy's ear. “We couldn't ever get much of a read on Todd. When he was in the Pit, he never seemed to know anyone who'd known him up here, and he was able to pull away from Neron in ways his other carefully subdued army of the damned couldn't.”

Billy nodded ever so slightly, and tuned back into the general conversation.

“I feel it important to let you all know that the League is pressuring us to drop this investigation,” Damian said, and then paused as the other kids let out loud exclamations of displeasure.

“How can we drop this investigation?” Jai yelled. “It's not like we even started it.”

“Yeah, they came after us!” Lian chimed in. “And thanks to you and the mentors telling us to go slow and build up our strength, all we've been doing is sitting around getting attacked. It's not like we're provoking this.”

“Seriously. They make it sound like we have a choice.” X'hawn folded his arms over his chest and turned away from the table.

Damian sighed. “I'm in sympathy with all of you, of course. I'd much rather be taking an active role in pursuing Neron. For what it's worth, I'm pleased with the progress we've been making in our training. I think we stand a good chance of completing missions successfully. I'm telling you what the League told me so that you'll all appreciate how much more difficult it's going to be to pursue our case. They're going to attempt to block us, and that includes Wonder Girl and Flash. The peer mentors are, first and foremost, here to enact the decisions of the larger hero community, not to advocate for our interests.”

“So what do you suggest we do?” Billy asked.

“I'm not entirely sure. At the moment, Wonder Girl and Flash are not opposed to us continuing to meet without them from time to time, so I intend to make the most of these conferences. I'll keep you all informed of any additional information my family learns regarding Todd and his role in Neron's plans. Hong, I expect you to continue sharing your intel and checking in with all of us. And if an opportunity to take a more active role presents itself, I will let you know.”

“How about we make that opportunity instead of waiting for it?” Irey said.

Damian turned a look on her that made her visibly flinch. “As much as I would love to travel to Neron's hell realm to confront him directly, I've yet to hit on a method that doesn't involve ritual suicide. When you discover something better, I'll be all ears.”

“Detective work involves lots of research,” Lian whispered to Irey, loudly enough to carry around the table. “There's usually a lot of waiting before a case breaks.”

“Yeah, that's not how it works in Central and Keystone,” Irey whispered back.

“That's all,” Damian said. “We can reconvene tomorrow. I'll be working up here while you're training with the mentors.” He got up, grabbed a stack of folders from the table with his good arm and left for his room.

The kids all traded looks with each other, then silently left for the elevators to meet up with Bart and Cassie.

* * *

Piper spent about half the poetry open mic Keystone Out! was sponsoring on his phone. If it weren't for the fact that he'd co-founded the organization, a good chunk of their operating costs came from his inheritance, and that he was the most active board member, he had a feeling he'd be getting chewed out at the end of the night by the other staff.

Linda, Roy, and Wally were all blowing up his phone. Even Jai sent him a few texts from Titans Tower, which had been a rarity lately as the kid pulled away from him and started treating him like just another authority figure to rebel against. It seemed the most recent death in the superhero community was hitting everyone harder than usual.

Well, that wasn't quite right. Really, they were experiencing an unfortunate cocktail of depressing circumstances. The adults were all worried about the teen superheroes. No one could have planned a worse introductory year than what was looking like a building Crisis. Besides that, the Wests were worried about Bart and had their own issues with the twins, and Roy and Dick were clearly having relationship problems that were being exacerbated by the death in Dick's family.

Really, Piper was trying very hard not to panic over Roy. The man was falling into a pretty heavy depression. He was resisting as best he could, but if he didn't start getting some emotional support from the people close to him his mental illness was going to pull him under again. And they'd had more than a few late night chats about some of Roy's coping mechanisms. Piper was doing his best to be on call, to help his friend, because he was fully convinced Roy might return to substance abuse without more support.

He had to wonder how Dick wasn't picking up on it. Then again, the calls for help were a lot more subtle from a man in his late thirties than they'd been from a dramatic teenager. Maybe Dick just didn't recognize the signs for what they were. And he'd been pretty understandably distracted even before Tim Drake's death.

Piper bid goodnight to his friends, locked up the meeting space, and got in his car and drove to Roy's. He was exhausted and really would have much rather gone home and decompressed for a little while, but Roy's last text stated that he very much did not want to be alone, so Piper wasn't going to leave him alone.

He was a bit surprised, then, when he found a strange vehicle in the driveway. Piper parked on the curb instead of in the occupied driveway and walked up the front lawn. He was startled by Arrow Dog running up to him and letting out a pitiful bark. He'd heard the dog whimpering, but had assumed the noise was coming from inside the house. She didn't have her leash on and the back gate hadn't been left open. Scowling, Piper picked the dog up and went to knock on the front door.

Thanks to his robot ears, Piper could hear the sounds of conversation in the living room, but it was difficult to make out over the loud rock music being blasted from the stereo. Eventually he got tired of trying to make his presence known, so he picked the lock, disarmed the security devices, and brought the dog into the kitchen. He refilled her water dish, then sat on the floor and scritched her ears until she started to calm down. She gave the palm of his hand a lick then ran over to the pet bed they kept next to the kitchen table and collapsed in a trembling heap of white fluff.

“I should just go home,” Piper muttered. Roy had very clearly found his company. Now that he'd brought the dog inside he could creep back out and go home for his quiet time and his decompression. He'd used up a lot of energy both on his phone and at the open mic and had no desire for further social interaction. But the beer cans lining the counter worried him. He'd poke his head into the living room and just make sure Roy was okay before he took off.

He found Roy sitting on the floor with his back leaning on the couch, just next to a friggin' enormous woman with vibrantly dyed hair and rather dated looking tattoos (some of which matched Roy's). They were sharing a bottle of something back and forth while belting out the lyrics to the song they were listening to (badly, but with definite gusto), and there were even more empty beer cans accumulated around them.

“Hey! Piper. Dude. When'd you get here?” Roy smiled dazedly when he caught sight of Piper lurking in the doorway.

“Huh? What'd you say?” the woman shouted.

Roy grabbed her shoulder. “Piper's here! He's my buddy. I've been wanting you two to meet!”

“Huh?”

Piper turned down the music, an action that might have earned him the gratitude of some of Roy's neighbors. “Your dog got out. I brought her into the kitchen.”

“Oh shit. Lian would'a killed me if anything happened to the useless pee bag.”

“Where is the princess, anyway? I wanna say hi.” The woman stretched out her legs and tapped Piper's calf with her toes. “I'll say hi to you, too. Who th'fuck are you, anyway?”

Piper quirked an eyebrow, and edged backwards so as to be out of the woman's range. “Hartley Rathaway. And you are…?”

“This is Grace. She's my buddy.” Roy proudly slapped her thigh. “Grace, this is Piper. The guy I've been telling you about. He's a music guy too. Grace does security at clubs.”

“I can see where that'd be a good fit for you.”

“This asshole convinced me to try to be a superhero with him for a little while.” Grace laughed at the memory. “I wasn't cut out for that scene. Too exclusive and judgey. Met some great fucking people while it lasted though. Including my Nissa. Ah, Nissa...”

“I take it you ladies are in the off of your on again off again?”

Grace scowled at him. “And who are you to say anything? You've been pissing and moaning all night about your boyfriend forgetting you exist, fucking again I might add.”

Piper closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He sat down on the loveseat just across from the inebriated sort-of superheroes and assessed his options.

Roy wasn't alone. He'd found company. Piper could leave, take care of his own needs, and Roy would most likely be fine. However, he wasn't getting the best vibe in the world off of this woman, and he wasn't sure he wanted to leave Roy alone with her. And, well, binge drinking like that while already in a not-great head space was probably a bad idea, even without a history of substance abuse. Really, even though nothing going on was _necessarily_ a problem, it didn't feel right.

God but this friendship was costing him a lot more emotional labor than he'd expected.

He struck up a conversation with Grace about music, and the different venues she'd worked at and the people she'd met doing so. She liked to talk, especially about herself, so it wasn't difficult to keep the conversation flowing. Piper briefly snuck into the kitchen to brew some coffee, and he managed to get Roy to start drinking that instead of the myriad flasks and bottles Grace extracted from the many pockets in her cargo shorts. Finally, sometime after three Grace curled up on the floor with a throw pillow and a blanket, and Piper helped the tipsy archer upstairs to his bedroom.

“You don't hafta worry about me so much, y'know. I'm...I'm okay, really.”

“Mm. All those text messages you sent to me during my event tonight imply otherwise. Roy...it's okay to not be okay. I don't mind helping you out.” Which was a bit of a fib at the moment. Piper had over-extended himself trying to help those around him, but that wasn't Roy's fault.

He likec the guy. He wanted to help him if he could. And he wasn't going to examine exactly how much he liked him, or linger too strongly on the fantasies he sometimes had of how things might have gone if they'd met while Roy was single.

Who was he kidding? Roy wouldn't be interested in him at all if he were single. Piper only looked as appealing as he did through the lens of a failing relationship, and he had no illusions about that. Roy might have, but Piper was pretty sure he knew what was going on in his friend's head. Roy wasn't happy with Nightwing anymore, so he'd developed a stupid and surface level crush on one of his buddies. It would be stupid to give the infatuation more weight than it deserved. And he'd lose a good friendship in the process, when Roy's interest in him wore out once the drama had settled.

“Well, m'glad you came over. I been wanting you to meet Grace. She's...she's awesome. We should all go to a show together sometime. Have some fun. I could use some fun.” Roy leaned back against his pillow and closed his eyes. “You gonna stay over? S'a little late to head out.”

“I suppose, but I think I'll be all right. It's not like I've got that far to go.”

“Jus' sleep over again. S'late. It's stupid to go at this hour.” Roy abruptly sat up and tugged on Piper's arm. “C'mon. Grace is sleeping over too. We can have hangover food tomorrow and figure out what show we're going to together. It'll be fun. My music buds, hanging out. Keeping me company while my princess and my boyfriend are off doing their own thing.”

Well when he said it like that…

Piper frowned. He really ought to go to the living room, but he could hear Grace's snores audibly enough from the second floor and he didn't care to get any closer to them. There was also the guest room. He didn't have any reason to sleep in Roy's bed with him again. The last time had been an accident, and based on Lian's reaction not one he should repeat.

But when Roy tugged him down onto the mattress and snuggled up to him, Piper gave in to his weakness and wrapped an arm around his friend. He was very tired, after all, and the hug felt good. Besides, Lian wasn't home. That was part of the damn problem to begin with. No one was around to discover them keeping each other company, and therefore no one could get the wrong idea about it.

Against his better judgment, Piper cuddled the alluringly handsome younger man and fell asleep.

* * *

Training with Bart and Cassie supervising them was actually kind of fun. They'd started out with some stretches to limber them up, something Damian always expected them to have done before they got outside despite the fact that they almost always forgot. Then Cassie put on some upbeat music and they'd done some cardio.

She'd taken X'hawn aside for some one on one flight tutoring, while Bart played dodgeball with the rest of them to work on their reflexes. They'd come together as a group for a quick mock battle; Bart, Billy, and Jai versus Cassie, Irey, Lian, and X'hawn. The speedsters had instantly gone for each other, Cassie and X'hawn went after Billy, and that left Lian sparring with the other non-powered hero. She took Jai out easily, probably owing to all her private tutoring from Damian, but she was the only person on her team to beat their opponent.

Cassie was limping a little when they walked back to the Tower. Not only was she a seasoned hero, but she was also technically a demigod. Lian kind of wished she'd been able to watch that battle. She had some new admiration for Billy's abilities, and was once again glad he was working with them.

For once he rode up in the elevator with them instead of teleporting directly to his bedroom. She kept trading looks with him. It wasn't intentional; her eyes just kept finding his, and he returned her smiles.

Bart and Irey had run up to the Tower without waiting for the others, but Bart was in the conference room when they got there, already changed into sweatpants and a souvenir Flash Museum t-shirt. “Hey, X'hawn. Can you hang back with me for a sec? I was asked to talk with you about your living arrangements.”

“Oh. Okay.” X'hawn waved goodbye to his friends and then sat down at the table with Bart. Lian ran over to give him a quick hug, and then jogged towards her room.

Her eyes caught Billy's again just before he disappeared into his own room. She chewed on her lower lip, and then impulsively ran up to his door and knocked.

The door opened on its own, and she walked into his chill, candle lit little sanctuary. Billy was standing in front of his dresser, an amused smile on his face. He'd taken his hair out of its ponytail. She always forgot how long it really was when it was pulled back. Someday she'd have to ask him about product. His hair was beautiful.

He was beautiful, really. And only two years older than her, which was a definite plus. Her dad wouldn't freak out about an age difference that small (well...he _probably_ wouldn't freak out).

“Hi.”

“Hello.” Billy closed his dresser and moved to stand in front of her. “I was preparing for bed. We're supposed to be up for more training at a ridiculous hour tomorrow.”

“This won't take long,” Lian assured him. “I just had this stupid whim. Okay, so I know you're home schooled and all, but me and the twins actually go to public schools and it's school dance season. We're allowed to take kids from other schools, or no schools at all, I guess. Would you want to go to my semi with me? It'll probably be boring and corny, but it'd be nice to get a chance to spend more time with you.”

“Mm. Time where we're not trying to injure each other in mock battle, even?”

“Yeah, exactly. I mean, we'll have to, like, do that middle school dance swaying. But I bet you'll pick it up really quickly. You look like a good swayer.”

Billy laughed, and then turned aside and shook his head. “I don't know how, but you're actually selling this really well. I'm almost tempted.”

“Almost?” Lian walked over to him with her hands clasped in front of her in an exaggerated manner. “C'mon, it'll be fun. I'll make it fun even if it's lame with a stupid theme and bad music. We can sit in the corner like broody cool kids and make fun of everything. In seriousness though, I worry about you being all alone in this Tower working all the time and never going out and having fun. We're your friends now, Billy. You're stuck with us. You might as well get to enjoy the perks.”

“I'll...I'll think about it.”

Lian poked his shoulder. “Just say yes. C'mon, I can tell you want to go. I promise, I won't let it go to my head.”

“It's not that. I just...”

Lian lifted her eyebrows, silently encouraging him to continue.

He gave his head another shake. “I really shouldn't. I...”

“Billy. Just so you know, I am not going to let you push us all away.” She dropped the last vestiges of her playful wheedling and fixed him with a serious look. “We're your teammates. We care about you. _I_ care about you. Kind of a lot, actually. And even if you don't go to the dance with me, I'm not going to drop this whole wanting you to be social and caring for your well being thing. At the very least, you're coming with me to Keystone for a movie night or something in the near future.”

“Lian, I'm very touched by your overtures.” He actually looked something closer to distressed, but she decided to take him at his word. “But I can't accept. You must have seen how dangerous it is to get close to me.”

“That's funny. Because I thought by being part of your superhero team I was going to be in the center of the action no matter what.” She put her hand on her hip and eyed him expectantly.

His mouth opened and closed a few times, and he looked away again. It was hard to tell with the warm glow of flickering candles, but she thought he might have been blushing. “You make...some rather pointed arguments.”

“Yeah, I've always been good at yelling at people when they're being stubborn idiots. And I mean it, Hong. I'm not going to just let you shut us out. I'm here for you, okay? And I'm not afraid of Neron.”

“Sometimes it seems like you're not afraid of anything.”

She shrugged. “I've already died once. When I go again, I at least want it to be meaningful. If it happens while I'm punching an asshole like Neron in the snout, I'm cool with it.”

Billy regarded her with a carefully guarded expression. “I believe you mean that.”

“Every damn word, yeah.” And it was true. The thing she most feared about the possibility of dying again was how poorly her family would take it. But she'd been raised in a heroic household and she'd always pictured herself suiting up and following in her family's footsteps. As long as she died heroically, and on her own terms the second time around, she'd be satisfied.

“In light of your arguments, I really can't find a reason to say no to your offer. You're very persuasive, Miss Harper.”

Lian let out an excited squeal and clapped her hands together. “Yes! Oh, Billy, this is going to be awesome. I actually love cheesy dances. We are going to be the prettiest damn swayers in the entire gym. This is going to be the frickin' best. Thank you!”

“Um...you're welcome?” Billy looked unsure of himself, and a bit flustered. Taking pity, Lian rambled something about the early training in the morning, wished him goodnight, and took her leave.

As soon as the door closed behind her, James Jesse stepped out from the corner and turned a bewildered look on his son. “What the ever loving fuck was that?!”

Billy narrowed his eyes at his father. “Would you kindly go back to hell? I've had enough scolding for one night.”

James scowled at him. “You're a real snot, you know that? Urgh. At least _try_ to break it to Kid Flash gently, okay?” He disappeared in a flash of green before Billy could answer.

* * *

Dick received a very enthusiastic greeting from Arrow Dog when he walked into his house. At first he smiled, thinking the dog's excitement had something to do with him. Then she barreled past him and took a squat in the middle of the front lawn.

“Huh. Well at least she's peeing outside now. That's an improvement.” He stood by the door and waited for the dog to finish. Once she ran back inside he shut the door, scritched her ears, and then went into the kitchen to check on her food and water.

He paused in the doorway to the living room and scowled. Grace was stretched out on the floor, and there was an army's worth of cans and bottles around her. From what he remembered of her ability to drink others under the table, the alcohol _could_ have been consumed by her alone. It still wasn't a great sign. He left her snoring away, filled Arrow Dog's water, then continued on upstairs as though he didn't have a less than desirable house guest.

He'd had a long couple of days in Gotham. Bruce was spending most of his time on the Watchtower, interviewing Jason and running tests, which left Dick with the task of settling Tim's affairs, a task that included making arrangements for X'hawn. It was both tedious and incredibly emotionally draining in turns. He'd given himself a few days off to recharge in Keystone before they had to deal with the funeral, which was being held on Tuesday.

All Dick wanted was a long shower, a good cry, and then some highly indulgent cuddles with his boyfriend. If Roy was still offering support and pampering, he was definitely in the mood to take it.

Then Dick pushed the door to their bedroom open and stopped in his tracks. Roy and Piper were both asleep. Their clothes were on. Nothing about the scene looked overtly sexual, but there was still something intimate about the way Roy's arm was slung across the other man, his fingers splayed out over Piper's stomach.

Dick closed the door, went downstairs and started pacing in the hallway. He almost went into the living room, but remembered Grace was there, and he was definitely not in the mood to talk to Grace.

Damn. Why had he moved into Roy's house again? He'd been living there for months, but it definitely did not feel like his space, especially not on a morning like that. Arrow Dog trotted up to him and let out a little whimper. He gave her ears another scritch.

“You're a good girl, you know that? I'll be back in a bit. Just gotta get my head together.” He held his hand out and she gave his palm a lick. Well, at least someone had been happy to see him. Dick went outside, locked the door up behind him, and went for a walk.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, back in the bedroom Piper first stirred towards wakefulness when he heard the door open. It wasn't enough to really wake him up, and he drifted back to sleep. But then he heard the soft conversation with the dog downstairs. Since he hadn't expected to sleep out he didn't have his sound dampeners with him, and every sound in the neighborhood was irritatingly crisp and clear.

He heard Dick leave, and it was enough to register with his tired brain. He shot up in bed, jumped to the window, and was just able to see Dick disappearing down the street. He didn't get a very good look at him, but from what he could gather the man appeared to be brooding.

“Shit.” Piper sat down on the edge of the mattress and jabbed Roy's shoulder. “Hey, wake up.”

“Nngh. Cut it out.” Roy rolled away from him and pulled a pillow over his head. “S'fucking bright in here.”

“Yeah, that'd be daylight. You're...uselessly hungover, aren't you?”

“Ding. We have a winner.”

Piper sighed, then got up and started for the door. “I'm going to see about saving your relationship for you.”

“H-huh…?” Roy's disoriented answer faded into snores. Piper couldn't help a small smile, his annoyance giving way to affection for his friend.

He could have used about a gallon of coffee before sprinting around the neighborhood, what with the night he'd had. Somehow, he managed to catch up to Dick pretty quickly. “H-hey. Hey. Uh...how are you?” He winced. God, he needed coffee. He could have said anything and he'd gone with that?

Dick's brow furrowed. “I'm burying my for all intents and purposes little brother in two days, my other for all intents and purposes baby brother is trying to train a group of inexperienced super kids while being targeted by an all powerful demon king, the kid is also recovering from a gunshot wound, and I just came home and found my boyfriend snuggled up to someone else. I've been better. How are you doing, Hartley?”

“I, too, have been better.” He frowned. “Dick, I don't want you to get the wrong idea from that. It was entirely platonic.”

“Uh huh.” Dick sighed, and rubbed his eyes. “I believe you. Roy gets handsy when he's drunk, I know that. It's just...look, I'm having a really crap week. Crap week doesn't even begin to cover it, actually. And I just wanted to go home and spend some time with him, but fucking Grace is there, and no one's taking care of the damn dog, and then...and then that.”

“I did water the dog last night. Right before I sat with Roy and Grace, and distracted her from feeding him every alcoholic substance in your house. I won't lie. He still drank a lot more than he should have, but they got a decent head start while I was out at the LGBTQIA youth event I was organizing. Dick, I promise, I'm not trying to do anything with your boyfriend. I respect your relationship. I'm just worried about him. He's...not doing well right now.”

Dick narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Piper glanced around, well aware that they were standing in the middle of a suburban neighborhood and it was not perhaps the best place to have this conversation. Granted, the power walkers and early morning joggers probably weren't paying them any attention, but it still felt wrong to discuss this out in the open. “My place is just around the corner from here. Would you come talk to me for a little bit? I'll make us some coffee or something.”

“I guess. Coffee does sound pretty good, actually.”

The short walk to Piper's was made in an uncomfortable silence. He took down his traps and then held the door open for Dick. They were immediately greeted by several of Piper's free range pet rats, in a way not entirely dissimilar to how Arrow Dog had looked to each of them for attention. Piper picked one of them up and carried her into the kitchen with him. Mindful of his guest, he set up the coffee maker, then he got some treats out for the rats and let them perch on him while he waited for the coffee to brew.

Dick walked a slow circle around the room, eyes lingering on the pictures Piper had taped to the cabinets and the papers resting on the counters. A lot of his pictures were old snapshots of the twins, there were a few of him and Wally, and some really old ones of him with the few Rogues he still considered friends. Dick paused in front of the most recent addition, a quick selfie he and Roy had taken the night of the Badger Doritos concert.

Piper pressed his lips together, then got up to pour their coffee. “That was a pretty good show. It would have been nice if you'd been able to go with us.”

“I had a costume thing. Look...I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm not in a fabulous mood right now. Can we just get this over with? What'd you mean, that Roy's not doing well?”

“I think he's depressed. Medically, I mean. Not in the colloquial sense.”

“He's never been diagnosed thanks to the difficulties of getting proper mental health care when you have a secret identity to keep, but yeah, I'm pretty sure Roy has depression. That's one of the reasons I worry about him drinking too much. Hanging out with Grace isn't a great sign either. She...she never thought his substance issues were a big deal. She encourages things I'd rather she not.” Dick sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. “So you were there last night looking out for him, is what you're getting at?”

“I've been trying to. I'm worried about him.”

Dick nodded and took a slow sip of his coffee.

“I...I don't think he likes living in Keystone. He keeps saying that I'm the only friend he's got here. The self-imposed isolation is really starting to get to him.”

“Yeah, well he's the stubborn asshole insisting on living here. Moving to Kansas sure as hell wasn't my idea.” Dick closed his eyes and gave himself a little shake. “Look, Hartley...thanks, I guess. But I'm already well aware of everything you're saying. I've _been_ aware. This is him. This is who he's been as long as I've known him, probably his entire life. He has mood swings, he can't handle his emotions, and then he checks out. But it cycles. He'll be okay again in a little while.”

“That's...not exactly comforting.”

Dick shrugged. “It is what it is. I'm going to get going. Thanks for the coffee.” He set the almost full mug on the table and took his leave.

Piper took a few more sips from his own mug, went into the living room, and sat down on the floor. A small white rat with black spots on his back crawled onto his lap and curled up for a nap. He patted the rat with one hand, and dropped his head into his other hand.

* * *

 

Sunday started out fairly strong for the Titans team. Wonder Girl took most of the team through some more training exercises while Damian and Jai remained in the Tower, Damian to do his detective research and Jai to do some more work on the Tower's security.

Cassie was having X'hawn fire at Lian and Irey when Bart ran up to them in full costume, which was unusual for him. He kept saying he'd been happy to hand off the Kid Flash identity to Irey, that she was certainly ready for it and he was getting too old to keep using a code name with 'Kid' in it, but it was also fairly obvious that he wasn't entirely comfortable going by 'Flash' without some other descriptor. He spent most of his time at Titans Tower wearing running shorts and a hoodie with a Flash logo on it.

“Hey guys! How's training going? Wait, never mind. There's a museum robbery in progress going on in the city. Want to come bust it with me?”

X'hawn immediately stopped throwing energy blasts at the girls and touched down just behind them. “You want us to take a mission?”

“Yeah. This looks like a good one to cut your teeth on, and I'll go with you.”

Billy had been meditating under a tree for that specific training exercise. He got up and joined them. “I can transport us there.”

Cassie looked distinctly annoyed. Lian watched her, figuring she would voice some sort of objection, but even though her stink face remained she didn't stop them so, after a quick vote, Billy teleported them to the art museum Bart indicated.

It was an easy take down, all things considered. They were facing off against an old Flash Rogue, the Rainbow Raider. Lian had heard some stories about him from Irey's family. Almost all of the speedsters made fun of him, except Barry. He occasionally referred to some sort of edge the other speedsters had apparently never encountered the few times they'd fought the widely mocked supervillain.

Mindful of the fact that the hero who'd tangled with him the most found him to be a threat, Lian was careful. She kept cool, remained covered, and waited until she had clear shots before firing her bow.

All her caution felt rather pointless when they took him down in barely five minutes. An entire team was overkill for the one sad Rogue. His gadgets disoriented Irey and she ran into a wall, but she was on her feet again in seconds. X'hawn misfired, as the lights from the Rainbow Raider's goggles confused him as well, but then Billy got behind the Rainbow Raider and put a sleep on him. The arrows Lian fired struck his costume and pinned him to the wall as he was slumping over from Billy's spell.

“Wow. That was...that was good. You guys are already moving like a well oiled machine. Well done.” Bart had a huge smile on his face, possibly relieved that this outing had gone smoother than the first one he'd suggested back when they'd first formed.

“I didn't do anything,” X'hawn mumbled.

Even if it was a quick, easy mission it still felt good to get out of the Tower and actually _do_ something. After handing Rainbow Raider over to the authorities they returned to their grounds for a few more hours of training. They were all energized. Lian could feel the team moving as one, and it floored her. She could see them charging into battle if they remained like this. Neron would be no match for them. They'd be just as legendary as every other incarnation of the team.

It didn't hurt at all that Billy kept smiling at her. He even rode up in the elevator with them at the end of the day. He stood next to her and, feeling bold, she reached over and took his hand. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, and caught a surprised but pleased look flit across his face. He squeezed her hand back and she suddenly felt light headed.

“All right, Keystone kids. You've got twenty minutes to get changed and meet me in the hangar!” Cassie yelled.

“I'll get Jai.” Irey's voice didn't sound quite right. Lian was about to ask her if she was okay, but she was already gone.

“That's weird. She seemed really happy during the training.”

Billy's brow knit together in confusion and he took a cautious step back from Lian. “Hm. She might be upset because of me.” Billy's eyes quickly darted to the side, then stubbornly focused themselves back on Lian (she, of course, couldn't see the spectral form of James Jesse melodramatically face-palming, or hear his yell of, “Ya think?!”)

“What happened?”

Again, Billy looked momentarily distracted. He gave himself a little shake and then regarded Lian with his more typical slightly distant serenity. “We had an awkward exchange the other day. I'd rather not dwell on it. I'm sure everything will be fine. Um. So this dance I agreed to attend. When is it again?”

“Friday night. I already talked to Bart and Cassie, and they're cool with us getting in late so long as we're ready to go on Saturday morning.”

Billy nodded. “I guess I'll see you Friday, then.”

“Yeah. Bye.” Lian threw him a dorky little wave and, sure her face was a bit red, continued into her room to get changed and pack up her things. When she got to the hangar and boarded the jet she found Jai and X'hawn waiting for her. She frowned. “Did Irey run back without us?”

“She usually does,” Jai pointed out.

“Yeah, but...I dunno. I wanted to talk to her.” She flopped onto her seat and tapped her feet against the floor. Even though she'd spun it as a friendly thing, she was going on a date with a really awesome guy she'd had a small crush on for months. She wanted to share her excitement with her best friend.

Somehow, it just wouldn't be as much fun to tell Jai, what with his tendency to make fun of absolutely everything, especially if he could tell it was something you particularly cared about.

“Are you still staying with me and Daddy?” Lian asked, turning to X'hawn.

He nodded. “Just for a few more days, I think. I've decided to live in Titans Tower full time, like Billy.”

Lian frowned. “You don't need to, though. Like, we've got the guest room. We can turn it into a bedroom for you.”

“I do appreciate the offer. But...it doesn't seem like the best of ideas.” X'hawn's eyes turned downcast. “I think it's probably safest for everyone if I remain at the superhero fortress. I'd like to visit you though. I think we should have more of those movie nights.”

“Oh, definitely. There are so many movies you and Damian and Billy haven't seen yet. I'll walk you through all the really good ones.”

That got her a small, weak smile out of the lonely looking alien boy. “And...and your father's boyfriend has promised to take me to some museums and research libraries. Tam was taking me to important cultural spots in your country, but I...anyway, I think it will be fun to go with Dick. Tim had said that Dick was almost as much of a history nerd as I am.”

“Yeah, it drives my dad crazy sometimes. He says that Uncle Dick picks out the most boring dates. He doesn't just do museums. He goes to, like, regular looking places that don't even have memorials on them or anything, but then he'll just spout out all the crazy history that happened on that spot.”

X'hawn's eyes widened. “That sounds wonderful.”

“Yeah, I thought it sounded pretty good, too. My dad's weird. He'd rather go to, like, rock shows and stuff.”

Based on his expression, X'hawn didn't approve of that idea. He gave a small shudder, and muttered about noise and crowds.

Overall, Lian was in high spirits when she and X'hawn got to her house. She was a little annoyed at Irey taking off without saying goodbye, a little anxious about the prospect of going on a date with Billy and what that might do to her friendship with Damian (something she was trying not to consciously think about), and mostly very excited about getting to wear a pretty dress and dance with a handsome boy.

Then they got inside and were met with raised voices. X'hawn immediately took a step backwards and hunched his shoulders. Lian gave his hand a squeeze, then went into the kitchen to see what all the ruckus was about.

“Excuse me for not being wild about finding you cuddling a guy out of the blue when I've seen him with your cock down his throat!”

“And whose idea was that, anyway? I did the fucking threesome because you wanted it!”

“Oh don't even pretend like that was some great sacrifice on your part. Especially not now! The sexual tension from you two is palpable, Roy. I don't even care if you haven't fucked _yet_. I can tell it's going to happen so you might as well just fucking get it over with!”

Lian's eyes widened. She'd been planning on confronting the two of them, reminding them sternly that they had a house guest who was an anxious type, and demand that they behave themselves. But those comments made the lecture die in her throat.

“Oh, shit.” And Roy had seen her. “Lian, you'd better go upstairs.”

“Um...X'hawn's here. I just wanted to, uh, ask you guys not to yell so much.” She bit her lip and started fidgeting with her bracelets. “Also please don't break up with each other.”

Before they could say anything she ran out of the room.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teens prepare for their school dances, the Bats prepare to bury one of their own, and Roy and Dick continue to drift apart.

Roy and Dick lowered their voices, but they remained in the kitchen arguing with each other well into the night. Lian spent a couple of hours with X'hawn in the guest room, pretending to watch a cartoon and absentmindedly finishing up some homework, and trying very hard not to think about what was going on downstairs.

She didn't want her father to break up with Dick. Objectively, she knew they did it rather a lot. Everyone always talked about it as a pattern in their relationship. But that's also how Dinah and Grandpa Ollie had been, and then they'd broken up one time too many and Dinah had moved on, and now Grandpa Ollie was terribly lonely and fixated on what he'd lost. She didn't want that for her father. She didn't want one of Dick's other exes to snatch him up and leave Roy as lonely and pathetic as her grandpa.

Besides, what if Roy tried to make it work with one of his exes instead? Auntie Donna would be cool, but what if he tried to date Grace? She shuddered in horror at the thought.

Seeing as it was a school night, one movie was all Lian thought she could get away with. She said goodnight to X'hawn, then left for her own room. She paused at the stairwell and listened, but she couldn't tell if her dad was still fighting with Dick or not. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she went into her room to change into pajamas.

Then she heard some noise from the driveway. Lian went to the window and peered outside, just in time to see Dick take off on his motorcycle. Her eyes welled with tears and she flung herself onto her bed. But before she could get a good cry in, there was a knock on her door.

“Peanut, can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Fine.” She sat up and grabbed a tissue from her nightstand. Roy walked in and shut the door behind him.

“Oh, Li...don't cry, honey. It's not worth getting this upset over, I promise.”

“Daddy, how could you?” She balled the tissue up and threw it in the general direction of the trashcan by her desk, missing by a good few feet. Roy retrieved it and tossed it into the trash for her. “Why would you let him go like that? Don't you guys love each other?”

“We do, Peanut. We're just having some problems right now, but it's not the end. We've been talking for awhile and we decided...we decided we're going to step back a bit and see if that helps. Living together hasn't really been working out. We're seeing too much of each other, and the quality of the time we're spending isn't that great.”

“So he's moving back to New York?”

Roy shook his head. “He's going to get his own place in Keystone, but he's also going to spend more time in Gotham again. We're not breaking up, Lian. And even if we were...there's no reason to be this torn up, okay?” Roy sat down next to her and squeezed her shoulder. “Dick's friendship with you is going to exist, no matter what's going on between me and him.”

“But you're _happy_ when you're with Uncle Dick. You guys are good for each other. I don't...” She frowned, and weighed whether she wanted to voice her thoughts. Well, even if it stung it might help him in the long run. “I don't want you to end up like Grandpa Ollie. You're supposed to have a happily ever after with Uncle Dick.”

“Sweetheart, Grandpa Ollie is fine.”

“He is not. He's sad, and you know it. He wishes he treated Dinah better, but it doesn't matter anymore because she's moved on and she's happy, and he's sad and alone. He's okay because he's got us and Uncle Connor and Mia and Uncle Hal, but he wishes he had Dinah too, and he'll hurt forever because of that. Don't you get it, Dad? Uncle Dick is your Dinah. Please work harder on this. If you really love him you'll stop trying to screw up the relationship.”

“I'm not _trying_ to mess things up. It just always gets a little weird when we're in too deep. That's why we're stepping back. We want it to work.”

Lian glanced downwards and gave a less than enthusiastic nod. “So are you going to stop being so weird with Mr. Rathaway?”

Roy scowled and scooched a little further down the bed. “Piper and I are friends. Jesus. Of course I'm clinging to him. He's the only god damn friend I've got in this city and right now I kinda need him. I'm not cheating on Dick, and I'm not planning on it either.”

“Well that's good to hear,” Lian said. “It really wasn't obvious from the way you've been acting, Dad. You guys got really close really fast and, well...I think he's pretty into you. So like...maybe don't hug him so much? I mean, since you're not planning on dating him at any point, you shouldn't be flirting with him.”

“I'm not...” But Roy couldn't finish the sentence. Lian gave him a severe look and he scowled. “All right, you've got a point. He's lonely and I've been taking advantage of the hugs.”

“Mm hm. Also, where Uncle Dick's like about to bury one of his closest friends, maybe have a little more patience with him being so emotional?”

Roy groaned and pressed his hand to his eyes. “This was a really shitty time to have it out with him. Fuck. The funeral's in two days. I'm a total jack ass.”

“Yeah, but for some reason he loves you so I'm sure you'll be able to recover.”

Roy gave her a sideways look. “I was supposed to be checking in on you to make sure you were okay. How did this turn into you counseling me?”

“I dunno, but you're pretty bad at this. I think you need all the help you can get.”

Roy smiled and patted her shoulder again. “Well you've got a pretty good head on your shoulders there, Peanut. But if you ever do get in over your head with romantic woes, I'm happy to at least try to return the favor. At the very least, you can hit me up for advice and then do the opposite of what I say.”

Lian giggled. “I'm sure it won't come to that. But thanks, Daddy. If you're feeling better, I really should go to bed. I've got geometry for my first block tomorrow so I kinda need to be awake and functional.”

“You continue to be very different from me when I was your age. Good night, Li. Knock 'em dead in math class tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Daddy.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and smiled until he'd left the room. Then she flopped backwards onto her bed and frowned, thinking about the actual romantic woes looming in her future.

Damian was not going to be pleased when he inevitably found out about her asking Billy Hong on a date. Even if he handled it in the most mature, least selfish way possible he would still inevitably be hurt. But there was no reason for her to feel guilty about it, either. They weren't dating. They couldn't date. He was too old for her. He shouldn't even like her.

But she knew he did anyway, and she still felt like she'd betrayed him somehow. Really, she could have used some advice for sorting out her feelings. But Roy was right. He was most definitely not the person to turn to on this.

She grabbed her phone, sent a quick text to Dinah, and then set her alarm and finished getting ready for bed.

* * *

“Can you tell me a little more about the guy I killed?”

“Which one?” Damian said darkly.

Jason narrowed his eyes. “I wasn't talking to you. But you know damn well which one I was asking about.”

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a pained sigh. “You know, you actually had lots of interactions with Tim once you were resurrected. Do you honestly not remember any of them?”

The three former Robins were sitting in the parlor of Wayne manor, ostensibly putting together photo collages for the wake. In actuality, Dick was the only one sorting through the pictures. Damian was prowling back and forth behind him, like some sort of surly protector. His expression was passive, but Dick was fairly certain he was uncomfortable.

Besides that, he kept shooting dark looks at Jason whenever he thought Dick wasn't looking.

For his part, Jason was sitting on the couch with a small pile of pictures of Tim, frowning at them and occasionally asking questions that were getting increasingly difficult for Dick to answer.

“I have...they're like suggestions of memories. Like when you've had some vivid dreams but as soon as you wake up they get fuzzy and you can't remember them clearly. I remember Tim's face. I remember feeling like he'd replaced me, and that if I got rid of him I might be able to...” He trailed off and shook his head. “There was another entity in me, Dick. I'm still trying to sort out what was the demon and what was me. I think the hurt was me, but the way I responded was the demon.” He set the stack of photos on the coffee table in front of him. “I think it is my fault he's dead.”

Dick wasn't actually looking at Damian, but he was pretty sure the kid had rolled his eyes.

“Jason, if you were possessed then it wasn't really your fault.” Dick's voice carried no conviction whatsoever. “We've got three photo boards done. I think that's enough. I know his old teammates are making some of their own. I'm gonna go for a walk.”

Dick hurriedly left the room and immediately headed outside. It was just about sunset. He thought some time walking around outside might be good for him, let him clear his head a little. At any rate, he needed a break from Jason, even if it was only for ten minutes or so.

The guy was nakedly pleading for some kind of absolution from his years of violence and murder. If he was going to be purely logical about it, Dick knew none of the actions were Jason's fault. That his time as the Red Hood was literally the result of something else inhabiting his body. That's what being possessed meant.

But he'd had enough clashes with Jason during that time to make him wary, and he was by no means emotionally ready to have a heart to heart with the person who'd pulled the trigger and ended his little brother's life. Just because Jason wasn't technically responsible for killing Tim, it didn't make it any easier to look at him.

Apparently, Bruce wasn't having those issues. He'd already used his wealthy white boy powers to get Jason started on a new path in life. He'd spent his Red Hood years on the fringes of society without leaving much of a record, so Bruce had gotten him declared resurrected as though it had just happened. He had no criminal record. He had a boring office job at Wayne Enterprises with a reliable income, and when he was feeling more stable he'd have his own condo in Gotham. In the meantime he was living in the manor.

Bruce had moved through his stages of grief remarkably quickly, unless he was just compartmentalizing particularly well (which, honestly, couldn't be ruled out). He almost seemed happy when Jason was around. He'd even let slip that he was hoping Jason might want to construct a new identity and go on some patrols with them, which was churning up all the conflicted but horrible emotions Dick had felt back when he'd first left “home” and become Nightwing.

But this time it was worse, because it wasn't just that he'd been replaced by the new favorite. Bruce was starting to act like Tim had never existed. Dick could understand Bruce's joy at having his wayward second Robin back (well, in theory he could understand it if he really tried), but it had come with such a dramatic sacrifice. They'd lost Tam and Tim thanks to Jason's possession, and while in his possessed state he'd also killed a hell of a lot of petty criminals and terrorized large segments of Gotham's population. The celebration should have been tempered with a bit more mourning.

“I can't believe I'm saying this, but Todd is making me miss Drake.”

Dick turned around and nodded at Damian. “Give Jason a break. He's...he's having a rough time too.”

“It's my understanding that you've never gotten on well with Todd, demonically possessed or otherwise.”

Dick shrugged. “Our circumstances are a little different now. We'll probably we okay. He's definitely your dad's favorite little golden boy, so get ready for that.” He winced as soon as the words were out of his mouth. It was petty to even still _feel_ that way, let alone expressing it to Damian.

  
To his surprise, Damian only grinned in response. It was an odd expression on him; not quite his usual mocking smile, but with a sort of playfulness to it that one didn't see often from the broody teen. “Come now, Grayson. We all know who Father's favorite is and it is most certainly not Todd.”

“Mm. I suppose you get some points for being biological offspring.”

Damian's brow furrowed. “Are you being intentionally obtuse? Because it's not me either. Ya haram, how undiscerning for a supposed detective.” The weird, almost playful smile returned, and then he started back towards the house. “I can see that you'd rather be alone. Come and find us when you're ready.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Okay, he was always going to miss Tim, but it was strong consolation that Damian was growing into a pretty awesome young adult.

* * *

Dinah ended up being bogged down with Birds of Prey work and wouldn't be available to help Lian with her dance woes until well after prom season, so she went through her options and found herself on the Wests' doorstep.

“Hi, Lian. What brings you by?” Mrs. Park-West stepped aside to let her in, and Lian followed her into the living room.

“I was hoping I could ask you for a favor.”

“Okay. What's up?” Linda sat down on the sofa. Her laptop and a bunch of papers were spread out over the coffee table. It looked like Lian had interrupted something rather involved, but Linda still put her laptop to sleep and gave Lian her full attention.

“I, um...okay. So I asked a boy to go to the semi with me and he said yes and now I'm kinda in over my head a little and I could...I could use someone for mom stuff. But my mom's a nightmare and Dinah's got costume stuff, so I was wondering if you would uh...mind taking me dress shopping and talking about boys a little?”

“Oh, sweetheart. Of course I'll take you dress shopping. But I'm sure your dad would take you.”

Lian wrinkled her face up in dislike at the thought. “I can't talk about boys with Daddy. He gets all crazy and weird. I don't get any good advice, just a big heaping of paranoia.”

“Yeah, there is that side to it. I wish I'd known you were going to the dance back when I took Irey to get her dress. We could have made a nice day of it together. But I'm happy to take you. Do you want it to be just the two of us, or should I see if Irey wants to come?”

Lian brightened. “I haven't even told Irey I'm going yet! Yeah, I'd love it if she came with. I want to tell her about my date. Even though it's a little scary it's still really exciting and I'm sure she's going to be happy for me.”

Linda smiled. “It sounds like you really like this boy.”

Lian looked away and nodded. “I didn't expect to, but yeah...I asked him out as a friend. I'm kinda hoping he'll pick up on my feelings and it'll turn into a real date. I mean, I know I could just tell him I like him, but if he doesn't like me back...I don't want to make our friendship feel awkward.”

“I'm sure you'll manage to drop a few hints that even the densest of teenage boys will get. Irey's upstairs working on her homework. If she's made enough progress on it then we can go to the store right now.”

“Really?”

“Well the dance is this week, isn't it? We don't have a lot of time.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Linda was upstairs longer than Lian expected. She ended up taking her phone out and goofing off on Facebook for a bit. She posted a status about going out dress shopping for the dance, and it was immediately liked by several classmates and a couple of actual friends. A girl from her social studies class asked her to post pics and she was promising to do so when Linda returned. She was stowing her car keys in her purse as she walked, an odd look on her face.

“Irey doesn't want to come.”

Lian frowned. “Too much homework?”

“No, that's the weird part. She just...doesn't want to come.” Linda shook her head. “I think I'm going to have to talk to her later. Anyway, it doesn't matter. We can have some fun one on one time. I know all the best dress shops are in Central, but the traffic will be a nightmare this time of day. Do you mind poking around Keystone instead?”

“Keystone's fine. I like the smaller stores better.” Lian cast a sad glance up the staircase towards the bedrooms while they were leaving the house, wondering why on earth her best friend didn't want to come along and get excited with her. She'd wanted to see Irey's dress, and she always helped Irey with fashion questions whenever Irey needed her. Why didn't Irey want to share this with her, too?

It was hard not to feel a little hurt.

* * *

“Hey, are you staying overnight in Gotham?” Roy stared at the stove in annoyance as he held his phone to his ear, and considered switching it to speaker so he could cook dinner and talk to his boyfriend at the same time. But Dick didn't like being on speaker phone, and things weren't so great between them that he felt like he could risk annoying the man in even trivial ways.

“I think so. Things are getting started pretty early, so it doesn't seem to make much sense to head home. I want to though. It's...it's weird. Nothing feels right.”

Roy stopped glaring at the stove and sat down at the table instead. “Do you want me to teleport up to Gotham?” It wouldn't be much of a sacrifice on his part. X'hawn was in Gotham with Dick, Lian had ditched him for the Wests, and he was feeling itchy being cooped up with nothing but Arrow Dog for company.

“Nah. I'll, I'll be okay. Besides, don't you need to be home for Lian? It's a school night.”

“Yeah, but she could stay with Wally and Linda. If you need me, I'll come but if you don't want me to...” He waited a beat, but Dick remained silent. “Well, if you change your mind.”

“I know. I appreciate it, trust me. Damian's actually trying to cheer me up too. It's...not exactly effective, but I am touched that he's trying.”

“Yeah.” Roy wanted to slam his forehead against the table. “Um...how's everyone else? Hanging in there or...” He winced. It felt like everything he said was coming out pathetically strained. Once upon a time Dick had been the easiest person in the world for him to talk to. When he was a kid, he used to sit on a bus for hours just to steal a little time with Dick, and they'd never shut up the entire time they were hanging out (well, unless they were making out).

Why did they have to lose that easy communication when it mattered?

“Bruce is pissing me off, but what else is new?” Dick's voice got quieter. Roy thought he heard a door creak open and closed, and when he spoke again his voice was at a normal volume. “He's...really happy Jason's back.”

“And you think he should be more broken up about Tim.”

“Tim was always a better human being than Jason, in every way possible. I just...I don't get why he's not hurting more. Why he doesn't care more. It's...it's wrong.”

“Well, I mean losing Jason was one of the worst things that ever happened to him, right? Just because he's glad the guy's really back this time doesn't mean he's not sad Tim's dead. Is there a chance you're projecting onto the situation a little?”

Dick let out a huffy little breath, and then a broken laugh. “Yeah. I know I didn't get along with Jason back in the day, and he was definitely not my favorite person during the Red Hood stuff but…I never hated him. I gotta get my head together, Roy. I mean for the sake of family dinners alone, I can't keep hating Jason for killing Tim. It's going to get awkward.”

“I wasn't aware all you Bat types could get together without at least a little awkwardness.”

“Mm. Says an Arrow family member. We all know you guys are the bastions of functionality.”

“Fucking second coming of Norman Rockwell, we are.”

Well, that felt a little better. Roy could feel a small smile forming when he spoke next. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” Dick didn't hesitate, which was nice. Roy had been afraid he'd hesitate. “I'll see you tomorrow though, right?”

“Yeah. Lian's excused for the day, so we'll meet you guys at the funeral home bright and early. And since you and X'hawn are insisting on staying at the manor tonight, you'll both be heading home with us tomorrow night, right?”

“That's the plan.”

“Okay. You're sure you don't want me to teleport to Gotham tonight?”

“I...no, I'll be fine. But I'll let you know if I change my mind. Good night, Roy.”

“Night. Love you.”

And there was the briefest bit of hesitation. “I love you too.”

He'd sounded like he meant it, but it was very easy for Roy's broken brain to convince him otherwise. Especially with that damn moment of hesitation.

Roy hung up and, having lost his appetite, put the groceries he'd taken out back in the fridge and cabinets and then paced through his empty house. Lian had gone to the Wests', X'hawn and Dick were in Gotham, and he was once again alone with his thoughts and the horrible feeling that his relationship was slipping through his fingers and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

But this was what always happened. Things went well for awhile, and then he inevitably fucked up and Dick disappeared.

“You really need to stop thinking about yourself, you stupid, selfish shit.” Roy practically fell onto the living room couch and pushed his face into a pillow.

Dick was grieving, for fuck's sake, and Roy couldn't stop thinking about how lonely and useless he felt. He actually wanted fucking cuddles and reassurances from Dick that everything was going to be fine between them. Like that was important.

Wait, wait…healthy people acknowledged when they needed support, right? So Dick needed support at the moment. That didn't necessarily mean Roy was a bad person for also needing support. God, he was so fucking confused, and he was pretty sure he was having intrusive thoughts but that also meant he couldn't get them to stop. He needed to be doing something.

Two courses of action came to mind. He wanted a drink (or possibly something stronger) just to shut the damn thoughts up, or he wanted to call Piper. But considering the fight he'd just had with Dick, calling Piper was probably about as good an idea as getting black out drunk.

No, fuck that. Having one god damn friend that he felt he could lean on was not the same as having substance issues. And fuck everyone that kept trying to make him feel guilty for it. Before his damn brain could get him on another round of over-thinking and over-complicating things, Roy got his phone out and called his buddy.

“Hey...are you free? I could use, um...that is...I don't think I should be alone right now.”

* * *

Piper was thinking all sorts of uncharitable things about Roy while he tidied up his living room in preparation for the man's visit. He was supposed to be spending the night either working on the events calendar for Keystone Out!'s Pride activities or looking over some gear Jai had sent him for upgrades. He didn't really have time for Roy's excessive neediness, and besides that, didn't he have a grieving boyfriend he was supposed to be taking care of? Wasn't said boyfriend already irritated by their emotional intimacy?

He really shouldn't have agreed to let Roy come over. But then, the man had sounded so wounded, and Dick obviously wasn't around to take care of him, and yet again, Piper had serious misgivings about leaving Roy alone in his present state. He'd feel terrible if he brushed Roy off and something did end up happening. Better to be safe than sorry.

What little irritation he had left disappeared as soon as he saw Roy on his doorstep, looking unsure of himself and a bit embarrassed. “Hey. Uh...thanks for taking me in.”

“Don't worry about it.” Piper managed a reassuring smile, and watched with some satisfaction as Roy's mood improved just from his company.

They sat in the living room and chatted about empty subjects, keeping a safe distance from all the things that were clearly on Roy's mind. Piper didn't risk even mentioning Dick, and while he filled Roy in on all the Pride events he was working on, he kept his invitation for Roy and friends to join in unspecific.

Roy wasn't even bothered by the rats, something Piper couldn't say for all of his house guests. Even Jai, the person who spent the most time at Piper's home apart from him, couldn't stand being around his pets. But Roy was petting them, and could tell a few of the friendliest ones apart from each other.

It was actually a really nice way to spend an evening. If Piper wasn't going to be working, relaxing with a friend wasn't a bad alternative. And it was clearly good for Roy as well; he'd stopped looking like a sad kicked puppy almost right away. He was smiling and laughing like his normal self after only twenty minutes or so.

As the night wore on and they cycled through conversation topics, they eventually landed on one of Roy's favorite arguments; that Piper, by virtue of his passionate love of music, must not suck at playing it. Piper let his friend wheedle him for a little while, but even though it was a friendly argument it was honestly one he was a tiny bit sick of having, so he decided to put an end to it.

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” Piper answered, returning from his work room with a flute. “I promise, I'm not going to hypnotize you, Roy.”

“I didn't think you were. But I honestly never thought I'd hear you play for me, either.”

Piper smirked, and then played one of the shorter flute sonatas he had memorized. It was an easy piece, just something he'd learned for his own enjoyment on quiet mornings.

“Piper, that was not awful,” Roy assessed once he'd finished.

“It wasn't particularly good though. That's my skill level. Eh, technically proficient but nothing special. Unless you count the meta ability that lets me weaponize it, anyway.”

“Dude, what are you even talking about? You're _good_ , I promise. You definitely know what you're doing with that flute and it shows.”

Piper frowned. “Fine. We'll try the piano then.”

“Okay, on to the piano.”

Piper cleaned some papers off of his piano, sat down at the bench, and then, once more, played a simple piece. Roy stood behind him. He was clearly more knowledgeable about the piano than the flute, because he called Piper's choice for the cop out it was. “You can play something more complicated than that.”

“Most likely.”

Roy prodded him between the shoulder blades.

“Fine, yes. I can try something a little more ambitious.”

Roy kept pestering him into trying harder and harder pieces, until Piper was privately admitting to himself that all his hours of solitary musical enjoyment had sharpened his skills. He'd even figured out that Rachmaninoff piece that had tripped him up for so many years.

“Okay, so maybe I'm somewhat decent with the piano and the flute.”

“Somewhat.” Roy's grin was definitely of the mocking variety.

“But my parents were right about one thing regarding me and music. I can't sing for shit.”

Roy quirked an eyebrow in response. Piper scowled. “Dammit. No. I haven't sung in front of another human being since I was a teenager. Roy, stop it. There's a reason.”

Roy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because some dipshit convinced you to stop. Which really doesn't seem like you, Hartley. You've never seemed like the type to give two shits what others think.” Roy sat down on the couch again, but remained facing Piper, who was still seated at the piano. “If I could still play guitar, I'd accompany you.”

Still scowling, Piper determinedly turned his back on Roy and faced his piano. His hands shook a little as he touched them to the keys, but after a moment his nerves settled. Once he started playing, he was able to forget about the other person in the room and pretend he was just playing for the rats and his own enjoyment. Once Roy was out of his mind, he was able to sing.

To get over the block he had about performing in front of another person he'd had to put Roy completely from awareness, and owing to that he made a regrettable choice in what to sing. He played Being Alive from Company, because it'd been on his mind recently and he'd been listening to the 2007 revival cast recording a lot.

It was an emotional song that resonated with him. Even he, in all his self-doubt and damage, could admit that he sang it well. What he lacked in vocal talent he made up for by clear emotion, and when his voice gave out he was able to hide it with the piano.

He finished the song and quickly closed the cover over the keys. His hands had started shaking again. Piper jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Oh, right. Roy. He actually wasn't just playing for the rats and to exorcise his own demons.

“Hartley, that was...thanks for letting me hear that.”

Piper kept his gaze fixed carefully on the wall opposite. “You didn't give me much choice.”

“Yeah, I'm a brat. I get it. Thanks though.” And then his hand wandered from Piper's shoulder. He pushed a few wispy strands of hair aside, and Piper tentatively looked up. “Thanks for letting me in. I've been wanting to hear you play for months. It was worth the wait. Better than anything I could have imagined, really. You're fucking incredible.”

Piper stood up, intending to put some space between them, but Roy kept touching his hair and dammit, the room suddenly felt incredibly small and like it was still vibrating with the painful echoes of Piper's song. He needed to go. He needed to leave. This wasn't right. He knew it wasn't right.

And then Roy leaned in for a kiss, and Piper didn't stop him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not like there's a bad version of Company, really, but the 2007 cast is my clear favorite. I definitely recommend giving it a listen if you're not already familiar with it.
> 
> And yes, I'm already working on the next chapter. I'm hoping to have it posted in a reasonably timely manner. But, y'know, encouraging comments do lead to faster updates. Just saying.


	40. Chapter 40

Well, Piper didn't stop him _right away_.

He was a sad and lonely man, so he indulged in the kiss for a moment, filing away the memory to be savored in privacy, and then he tangled his hands in Roy's hair and forcefully pried him back. “You have a boyfriend, Roy. An amazing one that you're very much in love with.”

“I...”

“And he loves you too. This isn't right, and it's not fair to me.” He held eye contact with Roy for a moment longer, then lowered his hands and stepped away. “I think you should go.”

Roy didn't say anything. He nodded, then left the room. Piper waited until he heard the front door close, then he sat down in the middle of the floor and picked up his flute.

He had some emotions he needed to work through, and music had always been the best therapy.

* * *

Damian knew full well that Tim Drake's funeral was going to be an emotional, exhausting affair, and that even having spent nearly half his life away from the assassins and fanatics that had initially stunted his emotional growth, he wasn't prepared for it. He'd spent the other half of his life among compassionate people, some of whom even demonstrated the depth of their considerable emotions, but all it had served to do was highlight his inadequacies in this regard. Damian never did particularly well at funerals. Tamara Fox's had been difficult, but this one was arguably more intimate and besides that, his family unit was in conflict this time.

The morning of the funeral he got up early and went down to the Cave to have some time to himself. He sat down in his corner, facing the photographs and paintings he'd collected, closed his eyes, and did his best to center himself. This would be a terrible day for him to say something casually cruel and wounding. He needed to carefully measure every word that came from his mouth. He would not add further injury to Dick, who was hurting quite enough without Damian accidentally saying the wrong thing.

He'd remain silent the entire day if he had to.

“Hey kiddo. What're you doing skulking around by yourself at the crack of dawn?”

Damian's brow wrinkled before he opened his eyes. “Kiddo?” Harper had called him that back when he'd been a child to intentionally demean him. He'd never like the term.

Jason Todd sat down on a clear corner of Damian's meticulously organized work bench. The harsh lighting of the Cave didn't flatter him.

Alfred had been doing his best to try to fatten him up, but he'd had less than a week to do so, so Jason was still underweight. Falling in with Bruce's habits had kept him out of the sun, which wasn't doing him any favors. His skin was still far too pale, and with a grayish pallor. Zatanna had said something about his sudden loss of physical strength being a sign that he'd been fighting to cast off the demonic influence, and that the evil entity had begun consuming him from the inside. So really, it should be taken as a mark of his strength of character that he looked so skeletal and diminished, but the change made his features look harsh. His blindingly white hair was almost the same shade as his teeth, which always seemed to be set in a mocking grin.

To Damian, Todd looked like he'd had a bad bout with Joker Toxin, but he didn't dare say that thought aloud. He didn't think his father would appreciate it, even though he couldn't have avoided the observation himself.

Damian closed his eyes again, and switched to an obvious meditation pose. Undeterred, Jason moved down the bench to be closer to him and poked his shoulder. “I repeat, Batman junior, what are you doing skulking around by yourself?”

“I am not skulking,” Damian said. “I'm grounding. Now leave me alone.”

“You don't like me very much, do you?”

Damian cracked his eye open. “If I answer, will you go away?”

“Maybe.” His grin was infuriating. Damian was forcefully reminded of Harper. “If it's a really good answer I might.”

“I'm not particularly fond of you, but you shouldn't take it personally. I've never liked that many people.”

“Ah huh. Are you mad at me for killing Tim?”

Resigning himself to having at least a brief conversation, Damian opened his eyes and trained them on Todd. “That would be rather foolish. You weren't in control of yourself at the time.” He certainly wasn't pleased with the situation. Even though he'd never gotten along with Drake, he hadn't wanted him dead. His death hurt people Damian did care about, which made it a terrible inconvenience.

“Well, people keep saying that, but they're also clearly still holding it against me.” Jason frowned. By people, he very obviously meant Dick. “If you are mad at me about all the grief I gave you guys when I was the Red Hood, I understand. I kinda wish we could just throw down and get it out of our systems. Instead, I get the feeling Dick at least is just going to quietly resent me for the rest of one or both of our lives.”

“He's too foolishly good natured to be consumed by his bitterness. He'll get over it. It's just going to take him more than a few days.”

Jason nodded. He looked distant. “So you and Dick are close, huh? That must be nice.”

Damian narrowed his eyes. He couldn't quite understand what Jason was getting at. “It is. His friendship is constant and fervent. I recommend it exceedingly. You were never close with him? Hm. He's gone out of his way to get to know everyone who called themselves Robin after he did.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn't always that way. He, uh...he didn't like me taking over for him. Makes sense, I guess. I never really got the whole story out of either of them, but Dick didn't go off and become Nightwing under the best of circumstances. He and your dad were not doing well, and then I butted into the middle of things and made it all worse.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “But he was nicer with the kids that came after? That's cool. I guess.”

“Todd. Why are you here?” Damian didn't mean to sound as menacing as he apparently did. He regretted it when he saw Jason flinch and scoot away from him.

“Sorry. I haven't been sleeping well since the exorcism. I heard someone moving around the house and I figured you might want to talk. I'll...I'll leave you alone.”

“I'd appreciate that. Thank you.”

Jason waited a moment, possibly expecting Damian to change his mind. Damian kept a mild glare trained on him until he got to one of the upper levels of the Cave and was thus out of view. He closed his eyes and slowly inhaled through his nose once he heard Jason's feet on the stairs.

Well, at least Damian no longer had any doubts about Jason's muddled memory of his years as the Red Hood. If he thought Damian was the person to come to for emotional heart to hearts, he _couldn't_ have been remembering those years properly.

* * *

“What do you mean you're skipping the funeral? You can't skip the funeral. It's-he-what the fucking hell?”

Bruce narrowed his eyes. “I'll give you a minute to get control of yourself.”

“Hey, don't walk away from me.” Dick reached to grab Bruce and got his wrist caught in a grip that he could only break by escalating the situation, but he wasn't in the mood to fight. He met Bruce's cold anger with a simmering rage of his own, and when Bruce dropped his wrist he snatched his arm away and glared at the man for all he was worth.

Damian and Alfred were watching from the doorway, with different sorts of unconvincingly calm facades going.

“Master Dick...we should be leaving.”

“Yeah, _we_ should.” He said it pointedly, eyes still fixed on Bruce.

“Jason's not up to it. Unless one of you wants to take my place and keep him company instead, I will be remaining here. I'll see you when you get back.”

Damian opened his mouth, and for a second Dick thought he might be about to volunteer himself to switch places. Dick caught his eye and gave his head a slight shake, and Damian remained silent.

If Bruce was determined to be absent, he was going to be absent. Dick at least wanted Damian's support, since Roy was also skipping the funeral. It was starting to look like Damian was the only one he could rely on anymore.

Alfred drove them out to the funeral home in an unpleasant and heavy silence. He dropped them off out front and then followed went where the employees were waving him to get in the line.

A few friends who hadn't been able to make the wake were saying their goodbyes in the main room. Dick walked around the second room instead, staring at the poster boards and trying to keep his bitter, angry thoughts at bay.

It wasn't working. This was too much like trading Tim for Jason. He hadn't even gone to Jason's funeral. He hadn't been talking to Bruce, and he hadn't _liked_ Jason. They'd never gotten along. He hadn't wanted the kid to get hurt, but he also hadn't really grieved him, or missed him when he'd died. And when he'd come back...the man had been an insistent thorn in Dick's side for years. It was so hard to look at him every damn day and not feel like a terrible injustice had occurred.

He wanted his little brother back.

“H-hi Uncle Dick.”

“Lian?” Dick forcefully redirected his thoughts from where they'd strayed and regarded the girl hesitantly holding a card out to him. He took the card, glanced at the beautiful water colored flowers on the front, and then put it in his suit pocket to actually read later. “I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you and your dad weren't coming.”

“Daddy isn't. He's not feeling well. But um...I was already excused from school and...I thought it was important to come. Are you still coming home tonight or are you going to stay in Gotham again?”

“I don't know. I just need to try to get through this for now.”

“Okay. Well, I hope you do come back with me. We've really missed you at the house and, and we can, like, distract you and stuff. Daddy really misses you. Maybe not exactly the right way or as much as you deserve, but he does and he'll be better once you're back.”

Well intentioned though she might have been, all Lian's words did was bring up a different source of pain for Dick at a moment when he wasn't feeling terribly great to begin with. He distantly nodded, idly wondered if he needed to be as concerned about the state of his relationship as Lian's words implied, and then he rudely turned his back on the girl and focused his attention on another photo board.

This one had one of his favorite pictures of him and Tim. It'd been taken shortly after Tim had co-founded Young Justice. The parents and mentors had all gotten together for a meeting while the kids had a sleepover party. Bruce had delegated the task to Nightwing, being tied up in a case or just not wanting to deal with the tediousness of what had amounted to a PTA meeting for superhero kids. Tim hadn't said anything, but it had clearly hurt his feelings that Bruce was brushing off his first superhero team, so Dick had taken him out for ice cream after the meeting.

It was a simple little thing, but it had been a fun bonding night. Tim had been his thoughtful, reserved self at first, but after enough self-deprecating anecdotes Dick had cracked his shell and they'd had a real conversation. One of the employees had made a stray comment about how nice it was to see brothers who were close to each other, and rather than correct her assumption they'd run with it. It had been her idea to snap the picture.

She'd caught Tim's shy, hesitant smile at just the right moment. That was about the time he'd switched from politely going along with Dick's cheesiness to actually having fun. He'd always been such a serious little kid. Sweet, good tempered, but always so determined and a little sad.

Really, he'd been a good practice run for Damian. Neither of the later Robins had much in the way of a sense of humor, but they'd eventually come around on Dick's corny jokes and desire to have family bonding time (in Damian's case, only as long as no one else knew).

Damn. He was already crying and the thing hadn't even started yet. Donna magically appeared at his side with tissues and regular bracing squeezes to the shoulder, and she helped him substantially until it was time to do his duty as pall bearer. He joined Bart, Conner, Cassie, Damian, and Connor, and they carried Tim from the funeral home to the hearse. Donna had more tissues for him when she helped him into the car.

Meanwhile, James Jesse spied on the events with a sour look on his face. Ever since Billy had given him the ability to pop into the land of the living for his brief little visits, he'd had to deal with new friends and acquaintances in the Pit asking him to check in on their loved ones, and inevitably they all wanted to hear about their funerals. He didn't understand why. What made you want to know how miserable your death made the people you cared about? It's not like they could do anything to help. He just had to silently watch all these good people fall apart, and then try to put the best spin possible on it when he got back to Hell.

So he watched Nightwing break down, and wondered at how the guy managed to still look attractive while bawling his eyes out, because on anyone else that would have been ugly crying. He watched the angry Robin, or Shaytun, he supposed, awkwardly move in Nightwing's direction a few times and then back off with mingled relief and fear whenever one of Nightwing's other friends beat him to the post of chief comforter. It was Troia for a good long while, but then Cyborg and Wally took turns, and eventually even the old Batgirl came over for a quick chat, and he'd thought those two had had a history.

He was surprised Batman wasn't around, but then, given that guy's habits maybe he _was_ around and James just hadn't spotted him. But one would think he'd be looking after his surviving kids.

Not being overeager to return to Hell and report his findings to Tim, who was still having a hard time with the whole being dead and unable to talk to most of the people he cared about thing, James stopped in at Titans Tower to chat with Billy first.

To his great surprise, he found the kid standing in front of a full length mirror trying on different suit jackets. “I thought you'd be engrossed in one of your demon books again.”

“I've spent enough of the day in study. I figured it was wise to spare some time preparing for this social engagement I've agreed to. And before you offer it, I still don't care to hear your opinion on fashion.” He turned to the side, checking the look of the suit in profile. “Although if you've managed to find my mother, I'd very much like her advice. She's always been pretty good at this stuff. It makes her initial attraction to you a source of continuing mystery to me.”

James floated so that he appeared to be sitting on the bed, and leaned his elbow on his knee. “I was hot shit when we met, just so you know. A nice enough ass will get a girl to overlook the fact that they're clad in clashing vertical stripes.”

Billy did a little turn in the mirror. “I don't think I've inherited your ass.”

“No, I don't think you have. Speaking of your mother, I've done everything I can short of walking up to Neron and asking him directly. I don't think we're going to find her, kid. Which is...yeah, a gigantic problem. You're the one who tracked me down when I shuffled the mortal coil though. Isn't there anything you can do from your end?”

“I've been trying.” Billy sighed and turned away from the mirror. “I think we can take this as confirmation that Neron's got her and is intentionally keeping her hidden. That's why I'd hoped you might hear something about her while being in Neron's realm. He can't have anything good planned for her. I...I fear he plans on continuing to use Mother as a bargaining chip and a means to hurt me.”

Yeah, that was definitely not good news. James bit his lip. “On a scale of one to ten, how successful would he be with that tactic?”

Billy lowered his gaze. “More successful than I'd like. I really shouldn't be going to this dance. Neron's going to continue to use my feelings and relationships against me. I can't develop feelings for Lian Harper, and I need to stop caring so much about you and Mom. A lot of innocent people will suffer and die if I can't control myself. I can't give in to him.”

James had been about to make another dig at Billy about his rejection of Irey West, but that little speech stopped him cold. He remembered all the smiles he'd seen Billy suppress when Speedy talked to him, and the brief bout of teasing he'd done when he'd first noticed the kid's crush on the cute little archer.

Damn kids and their angst. Even without a demon king complicating things, the love triangle was already pretty awful. From what James had seen, Kid Flash and Speedy were close friends. He hoped that continued to be the case, and that the jealousy kicked up from the stupid school dances wouldn't get in the way.

“Sounds like you've already developed feelings for Lian Harper. Denial's not going to help anything, Billy. It just makes it easier for the big bads to play you for a sucker.”

“I...I know.” He hung his head. “If I were normal I could just be excited for this, and the worst thing I'd have to worry about was hurting Iris' feelings. I didn't mean to do that either. It just sort of happened. But...”

“Hey. Neron's not likely to show up at a high school gym, even to fuck with you. I think you can go to one dance and be okay. Besides, she's a superhero kid. She might even have some experience with cackling bad guys trying to use her to get at other heroes.”

Billy nodded distantly. He turned back to the mirror, his expression much darker than it had been when James had first popped in. Any excitement he'd felt, or satisfaction at his primping, was gone. He just looked empty.

James wanted to pat his shoulder bracingly, the way he'd seen Donna Troy do for Dick Grayson barely a half hour ago, but of course he couldn't. He mumbled a disjointed goodbye to his son, and then made his way back to Hell for what was sure to be an uncomfortable conversation with Tim and Tam.

* * *

Dick ended up returning to Keystone with Lian and X'hawn after the funeral. It might not have been the correct choice. Damian had very awkwardly approached him and demanded to know what his intentions were for the remainder of the day (Dick suspected he meant to ask in a polite and supportive way). He could have stayed in Gotham and no one would have said anything. With the size of the manor, it would have been easy enough to avoid Bruce and Jason and just stay with Damian and Alfred.

And Selina, actually, who'd been stopping in periodically and somehow managed to be a really comforting person to be around when she wanted. Even though Dick was currently pissed off at Bruce, he hoped Selina kept up her visits. He knew that eventually he'd make up with Bruce and start caring about his emotional well being again, and that Catwoman was capable of looking after him when she was so inclined...and as long as he didn't stubbornly push her away.

The house was dark when they got back to Keystone. Dick sighed. He'd been hoping for some kind of sign that Roy was feeling back to his normal self, and that maybe, just maybe Dick would be able to lean on him a little. Alfred and Damian were great, really. But at the moment he just really wanted his boyfriend to be there for him.

It didn't look like he'd be getting that attention. For one thing, the house stank like dog pee and stale beer. They could hear music coming from upstairs. Lian's brow immediately creased with worry. “He was listening to that CD when I left this morning. I hope he got up at some point.”

“Was your father also close to Tim?” X'hawn asked.

Lian chewed her lip, and made an iffy motion. “He got along with Tim but...I think this is depression, not grief.”

“Yeah.” Dick's voice sounded raspy when he spoke. He almost didn't recognize it. He gave himself a shake, and then walked further into the house. “Why don't you guys take the dog for a quick walk. I somehow doubt she's been outside today. I'll clean up the pee while you're gone.”

“Okay. I should probably give her a bath tonight too.” It wasn't like Lian to volunteer extra pet chores for herself. Dick took that as another sign of how worried she was about her dad.

Dick spent longer cleaning than he should have. He wanted to go upstairs and have a quick conversation with Roy while the kids were still out of the house, but he also didn't really want to have it and so he ended up doing extra chores. Once the kitchen and living room were both spotless he realized he didn't have any other distractions, and he made the slow trek upstairs.

Roy was under the blankets and facing the wall when Dick gently knocked on the door and walked into the room. He sat up and immediately started rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his hand. He tried to smile and feign some semblance of his normal self, but it was a half-hearted attempt at best. Dick turned off the music and sat down at the end of the bed.

“Lian said you weren't feeling well but she was a little vague about it. It's kind of a shit time for you to have a bad head day. My head's not so great right now, honestly.”

“Yeah. And you've actually got a reason for it,” Roy muttered. “Dick, I'm sorry.”

“I know. I could have used you today though. I...even Babs was there. She hugged me, Roy. Rose Wilson came. She never comes to this sort of stuff, but she came over and offered me sympathy.”

“I'm sorry, Dick,” Roy repeated. “I tried. I swear I did. I got the suit pants on and everything. But then I just...” He waved his hand uselessly. “There's something I need to talk to you about, but if you're in a bad head space too then we can wait a little while. You...you don't look like you need more of my shit right now.”

Dick closed his eyes and nodded. “I'm going to grab a shower, and then I'm coming back in here and I'd like it a lot if you could just sit with me for a bit, okay? I'd kind of like to hit pause on our drama and just pretend like things are cool for a little while. And I'd like a hug.”

“Okay. I can do that. But you're going to want to punch me in the face when we do have our talk.”

Dick got up and suppressed a bitter sigh. “Well honestly, Harper. What else is new?”

Roy should have responded with an easy grin and some sort of mild dig, but it seemed bantering was beyond him. His eyes were downcast. Dick frowned, and leaned over to brush his hand down the side of Roy's face. “Hey...so this thing I'm going to want to punch you for...how bad is it?”

“You should just fucking leave me now.”

“Roy...” Dick sat back down and reached for Roy's hand, but Roy shrugged away from him. “C'mon, talk to me. What happened? Cheshire hasn't been by again, has she?”

“Cheshire? No, it's not Jade. I...you were right about me and Piper. I...I got too close to him. I went to see him last night and I...”

Dick rolled his eyes. “I knew this was coming.”

Roy frowned. “Are you honestly going to say 'I told you so' to me right now?”

“Well you thought I was going to punch you in the face. Isn't this a little better?”

Roy scowled. “So we're making light of this? I kissed another guy and we're going to have a fucking laugh over it. Great.” He sank back down on the mattress and rolled over so that he was facing the wall. Dick carefully rested a hand on Roy's waist, and when he wasn't shaken off he spooned up behind him and hugged him.

“So we're clear, I'm not thrilled about the kiss. We're supposed to be monogamous right now and that's a violation of trust, especially since you are clearly developing feelings for him. And it's a pretty shitty thing to do to Hartley, too.”

“He started to kiss back, but then he yelled at me and threw me out. I think I nuked that friendship. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me.”

“Brain chemistry, most likely.” Dick said it as gently as he could, but Roy still winced and let out a pained hiss. He made an effort to keep his voice soothing as he continued. “Roy...you're not doing well, I haven't been around enough, and you latched onto someone who was making you feel better. It's...I saw it happening. I probably should have just given in and let you stay in Gotham with me yesterday. I could hear it in your voice that you didn't want to be alone. I'm sorry.”

“Hey, don't apologize to me. I'm the asshole here. I'm the one who cheated.”

Dick pulled him closer and dropped a kiss on his shoulder. “Like I haven't made that mistake before.”

Roy started to turn around, but he also clearly didn't want to break the hug. He ended up placing his hand over Dick's. “You never cheated on me.”

“No, I didn't cheat on you. But in light of some of my other relationship failures I really don't have much moral high ground here. Let's leave it at this. We both fucked up this week and we need to do better in the future. I'm not ready to call it quits on this yet. I'm willing to put the work in. Um...you are too, right?”

Roy's voice was barely above a whisper, and lacking any of his brash confidence. “If you'll still have me.”

“Damn right I'll still have you.” Dick leaned up enough to kiss Roy's jaw, and when Roy finally turned in his arms he was able to kiss him properly. It was the first kiss they'd shared in quite some time, he realized.

Roy was smiling when he ended the kiss. It was a shaky looking little thing, but the fact that it was there at all was a marked improvement. “Hey, look at us. We just talked through a serious fight. I think that means we're maturing or something.”

Dick returned the smile. “I won't tell anyone if you don't.” Dick leaned in to kiss him again but stopped when he heard knocking on their door. “Yes?”

Lian poked her head in. “I just gave Arrow Dog her bath. X'hawn's toweling her off. It's actually really cute because he's all warm like a hot water bottle and she keeps nuzzling against him. Um...Daddy, are you okay?”

“I'm feeling better. What's up, Peanut?”

Lian bounced into the room and jumped onto the end of the bed. “You know how Mrs. Park-West took me dress shopping yesterday?”

“Yes...”

“Something kinda funny happened,” Lian said with a frown. “I tried to use the credit card Grandpa Ollie gave me but it got declined. And it happened again today when I was getting coffee for me and Rose after the funeral. She ended up paying for the coffee and, um...Mrs. Park-West bought the dress for me.”

Roy rolled his eyes. “God, Lian. How did you manage to max out one of Ollie's credit cards? Those things have insane limits on them.”

“I didn't max out the card. I've barely used it this month. I just treated the debate team for pizza last week, and I bought a couple new books and the occasional coffee. That's it. There should have been plenty of room left for a new dress. As is, I was so embarrassed about the card that I didn't end up buying shoes. And the dress was kind of expensive. Do you think you could pay the Wests back and spot me for some shoes until we get this straightened out with Grandpa Ollie?”

“I guess I'm going to have to.” Roy sat up and started reaching around on the nightstand for his wallet. “How much was the dress?”

“It was on sale, Daddy. It was actually a really good sale too-”

“Lian. How much was the dress?”

Dick climbed out of bed and started gathering clean pajamas, reasonably sure that he didn't want to be around for this conversation. And he did need that shower.

“Three hundred fifty. Which was really a very good price for a unique piece of-”

“You paid three hundred and fifty dollars for a dress you're going to wear once?!”

“But I look so pretty in it!”

“You're a pretty girl! You'd look pretty in a potato sack. Oh fucking hell, Lian. You do realize that now I owe Wally West three hundred and fifty dollars, right?”

“...no. You owe _Linda_ Park-West three hundred and fifty dollars. And really, Grandpa does. I wonder why the card got declined?”

“I don't fucking know, Lian. And I can't say I really care. Ollie's finances are all over the place. For all we know he's lost his family fortune again. But we'll figure out an allowance for you or something until it's resolved. Okay, Peanut?”

“Kay.”

Dick let out a relieved breath, glad that the meltdown seemed to have been averted.

“So Daddy...about the shoes? I really don't have any that go with the dress...”

Dick closed the door soundly behind him and retreated for the bathroom.

* * *

Deciding that he'd rather get this particular unpleasantness over with sooner rather than later, Roy went over to the West house the very next day to pay Linda back. He had breakfast with Dick and X'hawn, and once they'd left to start the process of moving X'hawn into Titans Tower, he procrastinated around the house for as long as he was able, which wasn't nearly as long as he'd have liked. The house was annoyingly clean and the dog was better cared for than she'd been since Lian had gotten the damn flea bag.

So Roy got dressed, grabbed his check book, and walked over to Wally and Linda's. At least since he'd decided to go in the morning, Wally was likely to still be asleep, what with working night shifts.

Maybe that was the answer. Maybe Roy needed to get a real job again. He was barely doing superheroics anymore, his daughter just didn't require that much attention from him these days, and since he had nothing to fill his time he ended up sitting around over thinking and letting his brain make the worst of everything. Activity helped. Besides, if Ollie was broke again he might actually need the income.

To compound his discomfort, he found Linda sitting with Piper on the front porch when he got to the house. Piper's face immediately went pale, and he dropped his gaze to his suddenly fidgeting hands.

It wasn't hard to guess what they'd been talking about.

“Why hello, Roy.” Linda's voice definitely had an edge to it. “What brings you by?”

Roy took his checkbook out of his pocket. “Lian told me about the dress last night. I'm here to pay the debt and apologize.”

“Oh, an apology. Interesting. But honestly, there's no reason to apologize. To me, anyway.”

Piper winced and slid down in his chair. “Linda, please don't...”

“I'm obviously intruding. Sorry. Let me just write the check out and I'll move along and you guys can shit talk me in peace, okay?”

“We're not shit talking you,” Piper muttered.

“He's not,” Linda said. “But really, he should be.”

“I know, I'm an asshole. It was three fifty, right?”

“Yes, marked down from eight hundred. Your daughter has a good eye, Roy.”

Since Linda was already pissed at him, he refrained from voicing his opinion on that. She snatched the check out of his hand once he'd written it. A very awkward silence ensued, with Linda glaring at Roy and Roy and Piper looking anywhere but at each other.

“I, uh...I really am sorry. I'll see you guys around, okay?” Roy cast one more look at Piper, silently prayed that he'd be able to fix the mess he'd made of their friendship, and then fled for his house.

As soon as he shut the door behind him he pressed his hand to his face and let out a slow f-bomb.

He really should have listened to Dick. He should have realized what he was turning the friendship into and gotten control of himself. He liked Piper a lot, but not enough to really pursue anything with him. Even if Dick had dumped him (and by all rights, Dick should have dumped him – Roy considered it nothing short of miraculous that he still had a boyfriend) he wouldn't have wanted to start anything serious with Piper. He felt the same way about Piper that he did about Grace. Fun to be around, and he cared about them, but that was it.

And he'd very clearly hurt Piper.

“Why do I have to be such an irredeemable fuck up?”

“Beats me, but it seems to be a point of consistency for you.”

“Dinah?” Roy followed the voice into his living room, where he found Dinah stretched out on the couch with a tablet on her lap. She placed the tablet on the coffee table and then climbed to her feet. “When did you get here?”

“A few minutes ago. I hope you don't mind me letting myself in.”

“Hey, I gave you a key. Want some tea or something?”

“Sounds good.”

They went into the kitchen and Roy prepared them each a mug of green tea. “So what brings you by?”

“Hopefully nothing, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Lian called me a couple of nights ago and asked me to take her dress shopping for some big school dance she has coming up.”

“I know. Linda filled in, so you're off the hook for that one.”

Dinah looked confused. “So you knew about it already? Hm.”

“Yeah...Dinah? What's going on?” She was acting like going dress shopping was some kind of dangerous covert mission.

“Cheshire,” Dinah said simply, and Roy almost dropped his mug. He set it carefully on the table and eyed her expectantly. “She...doesn't like it when other women step in to do the mom thing for your daughter. I've been the target of her wrath more than once over my fill-ins. And with Lian posting about the dress shopping trip on social media, I just figured it was best to stop in and give you all a head's up that Jade is not going to be pleased.”

“You think she might go after Linda?”

“I'm nearly certain she will. I think the only scenario where she wouldn't would be if she was too busy to see the posts. But with the way she keeps tabs on Lian, even if she doesn't see the posts now she'll get to them eventually. And if she feels threatened by Linda, she'll do something.”

“Okay. I'll...I guess I'll talk to Wally and Linda about it.” Which meant he'd have to get in touch with them for the second damn time in one day.

“I'm all through with the Birds thing that had me tied up, so if Lian needs any more help getting ready for the dance I can hang around. Cheshire already hates me, so it's not really any kind of risk on my part.”

“This is fucking ridiculous,” Roy snapped. “Jade's the most pathetic excuse for a parent I could imagine. She should _not_ be threatening the women trying to make up for her shortcomings.”

“And yet...” Dinah sighed. “I'm sorry, Roy. I figured this was something you already knew about.”

Roy irritably scrubbed his hand through his hair. “You think you could take Lian shoe shopping when she gets out of school? And keep on some kind of budget? The card Ollie gave her got turned off, so money actually is an issue. And she doesn't want me to take her because she thinks I'm a bad shopping buddy.”

Dinah pointedly raked her eyes over his admittedly less than dapper looking outfit, and regarded him with a patronizing smirk. “I'll see what I can do.”

* * *

When Dick got back from Titans Tower, he found Roy planted face down on the living room couch. But he was wearing clean clothes and he didn't have music blasting to a conversation discouraging volume. Being downstairs was also a good sign. Maybe he'd jolted himself out of his funk faster than usual.

He was still obviously upset, even if it contained more energy than a lethargic bout of depression, so Dick sat down next to him and started running his hands through Roy's hair. “Rough day?”

“I had to talk to the Wests. Twice.” He leaned up so that Dick could settle more comfortably onto the couch, and then draped himself over Dick's lap for the resumption of hair patting. “For once Linda's as ticked off at me as Wally. I guess her and Hartley are...uh...anyway, they're close and I...am a shitty person, so...”

Dick sighed. “I'm still not breaking up with you.”

“Kay. Thanks. If you keep repeating it a few hundred or so more times that might break through. It uh...still seems like it'd be in really poor taste to gripe about how shitty I feel for hurting Piper though.”

“If you had someone else you felt comfortable talking to about it, I'd definitely say go talk to them, but as the situation stands...Roy, you've got to talk to somebody.” Dick wasn't actually as upset by the whole thing as he probably should have been. In a way, he felt relieved. He'd been seeing Roy's interest in Piper build and build and build, and when Roy was in denial over it he'd felt paranoid and unsure of himself. But now that it was out there, they could tackle the problem and get over it.

Because he very much wanted to get over it. He loved Roy, and unlike the first redheads he'd given his heart to, Roy was willing to build a life with him. It was going to take work, and Dick wanted to put the work in. They could get through this.

“So what do you want me to say?” Roy mumbled.

There was no delicate way to ask, so Dick just put it out there. “Why did you kiss him?” He had a pretty good idea, but he also wanted to see how much introspection Roy had done on the subject.

“I don't fucking know.”

Not much, apparently. Which wasn't really surprising, even if it was disappointing.

“I've got a few ideas,” Dick said. “I think you were lonely. Strike that. We both know you've been lonely. I've been in and out, and I've needed emotional support but you've been too tapped by your own stuff to help, and you felt guilty about that so you started spending as much time as possible with a friend who was easy and comforting to be around. Piper likes you too, and it always feels better to be around someone who's crushing on you. He was very attentive and supportive and probably giving you all kinds of nice little ego boosts. My warning that you were getting too close to him probably struck you as motivated by jealousy, and since you're contrary when you're ruffled you spent even more time with Piper just to prove that I was being irrational. And then when you were having a particularly shitty night you clung to him. Anyway, that's what I think happened.”

Roy sat up so that they were making eye contact. “That's...huh. So you were never jealous?”

Dick shook his head. “I was worried that you were going to tank a friendship that was potentially really good for you.” It's not like Roy always had the best taste in people. He tended to gel best with those were just a little bit damaged; the kind of people he didn't have to feel self-conscious around. Sometimes he was lucky and he found people trying to be better, get stronger, and recover. But an unfortunate amount of the time he found people who were determined to pull him under with them. Piper had struck Dick as the former.

“Damn. You and your creepy invasive detective mojo. I think you had a clearer idea of what was going on than I did. Which sounds really obvious now that I'm saying it out loud.” Roy covered his face with his hand and took a deep breath. “Well at least you're not mad at me.”

“Nope. I'm concerned. It's different.” Dick wrapped his arms around Roy and kissed the side of his face. “If it helps, I think if Piper hadn't broken the kiss first you probably would have put an end to things yourself. Does that…sound right?” He realized as he said it that this was a bit of analysis Dick didn't want to be contradicted on.

Roy nodded. “Absolutely. It didn't feel right. One minute it seemed like the most natural thing in the world, and then once I'd done it it was like a switch flipped. Even without him yelling at me, it would have just been the one kiss.”

“Ah. You know, this was a really elaborate plot to keep me from having another gorgeous redhead threesome.”

“Oh come on, Dick. You're not joking around about that right now, are you?” Roy groaned and buried his face in his hand again, but Dick was pretty sure he could see a self-conscious smile between the fingers. Still, he thought it best to back off. Roy was deeply upset about this one, and even though they needed to tackle it, he thought it best to chip away at it over the course of several conversations. Kissing Piper was a manifestation of a bigger problem, after all, and Roy's desperate unhappiness bothered Dick a lot more than one impulsive mistake.

“So what did you need to talk to Wally and Linda about, anyway?”

Roy quickly explained about Lian's school dance, and the mysteriously declined credit card and possible threat of maternal retribution from Cheshire. Dick was careful about how he worded his agreement that Linda needed to be on her guard, and was grateful not to have his head bitten off by Roy. He seemed to have finally gotten that his ex was dangerous, although Dick was probably going to remain a smidge bitter that it had taken a mind control serum that had sicced him on his loved ones to get him there.

Dick frowned. “Tim's death must have really put us off our game.” Which was an understatement, to be sure. “Damian never even mentioned Billy and Lian going to the dance together. At least he's taking it well.”

“I guess. Well good. He was way too possessive over Li. Even without the age gap, it was creepy.”

“That's just him though. He only lets in like three people at a time, and he stays very focused on us.” He might have been making light of it, but Dick really was very relieved that Damian wasn't having some dramatic angsty overreaction to Lian going to the dance with another boy. And not just another boy – a boy he actively disliked and distrusted. He should have been throwing an absolute fit, likely offending Lian in the process and further isolating himself.

Maybe the kid was getting better at this whole being a social creature thing.

* * *

Of course, the real reason Damian hadn't been throwing a fit over Lian and Billy's date was because he hadn't known about it.

He spent Friday night into the early hours of Saturday morning staking out a warehouse by the docks. To relieve himself of some of the tedium, he spent a few minutes on social media every couple of hours. Dick had taken to posting increasingly cutesy looking pictures of Arrow Dog (Damian had initially assumed the photos had originated from Lian and wasn't sure what to make of the fact that they hadn't been posted by a fourteen year old girl with a taste for the kawaii aesthetic). Damian scrolled past the puppy pictures, scanned a news headline or two, and then landed on the first of many pictures of Lian and Billy embracing in formal wear.

“Oh.” He gave himself a shake. He was working. It was bad enough that he'd taken his phone out. He certainly shouldn't have been making additional noise.

Damian returned his phone to the compartment of his suit he normally hid it in and focused on the building (and its frustrating lack of any and all activity). He realized he was compartmentalizing and that Dick had told him many times he needed to stop doing that and actually deal with his emotions when they arose. But he didn't even understand what these emotions were.

He knew though, that somehow or other Lian was going to get mad at him for being concerned about her closeness with Hong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, friends! I meant to have this chapter up sooner. I've been having a rough time in RL lately. Lots of things have gone badly all at once and I'm about to get very busy with work. So I see one of two things happening; either I'm barely going to post at all because of how busy I'll be for the next couple of months, or I'll be posting like crazy because I'm very stressed out and writing fan fic makes me feel better.
> 
> Either way, encouraging words put a smile on my face. Thank you for reading my scribbles!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, friends. I've disabled anonymous commenting on this fic for the present. I'm hoping to switch it back soon, as I am very interested in getting peoples' thoughts on my writing. The interactive nature of fanfiction is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much as a hobby, and I generally find reading peoples' comments very encouraging, as well as a source of inspiration for further writing. That being said, I've attracted a troll, and until they move along I'm just going to hope that taking the extra few seconds to log in won't deter that many of you from letting me know what you think. Thanks for reading!


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